Dr. David Alexander
Exploring the Physics of Space Weather
In December of 2008, NASA will launch the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), a
space mission dedicated to observing the Sun in unprecedented detail across a wide
array of wavelengths. SDO will complement a flotilla of other solar dedicated
observatories both in space, STEREO and Hinode, and on the ground, particularly
Big Bear and Mauna Loa Solar Observatories, to address the key physics powering
our nearest star and its interaction with the Earth, called Space Weather. The
proposed research will utilize the immense wealth of data from these observatories
to explore the physical processes powering the solar atmosphere and the energetic
phenomena that it produces, including eruptive prominences, solar flares and coronal
mass ejections. In particular, the student(s) will learn how to use state-of-the-art
data analysis tools to investigate a range of solar phenomena with the aim of producing
peer-reviewed publishable research and poster papers for presentation at national
conferences.
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