From Space Weather Lab

1. About

The Space Weather Lab at George Mason University was formally established in October 2006. The faculty in the lab are mainly affiliated with the Department of Physics and Astronomy [1]. We emphasize multi-disciplinary science that crosses traditional department boundaries. Students in our space weather program will develop a deep understanding of the Sun, the heliosphere, geospace, and their interactions. Space weather research addresses understanding of the physics of the connected Sun-Earth system. It specifies and predicts the physical conditions in the space that adversely affect the safety of manned space missions and technological systems such as satellites, electronic power grids, communication and navigation systems. It is supported by major national programs, including the National Space Weather Program (NSWP), the Living With a Star Program (LWS), and a variety of NASA, NSF, DOD and NOAA offices. There is also an International LWS program that involves more than 20 international space agencies. If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree and would like to do research on Space Weather problems, we encourage you to contact any of the faculty.

A Coronal Mass Ejection

2. Faculty

• Dieter Bilitza - Research Professor; Ph.D., Albert-Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany, 1984. Ionospheric physics, thermodynamics, and solar-terrestrial physics with a strong background in statistical modeling of ionospheric parameters. The principal author of the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) a model widely used for applications in science,engineering and education, and the recognized international standard for ionospheric parameters.
• Jim Chen - Affiliate Research Professor; PhD, Cornell University, 1979. Plasma physics, solar physics.
• James Klimchuk - Affiliate Research Professor; PhD, University of Colorado, 1985. Solar physics, MHD physics.
• John Mariska - Research Professor; Ph.D., Harvard University, 1977. Observational and theoretical study of the structure, dynamics, and radiating properties of the solar transition region and corona.
• Bob Meier - Research Professor; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1966. Upper atmospheric and ionospheric physics, chemistry, and dynamics with special emphasis on development of techniques for remote sensing of composition and temperature.
• Dusan Odstrcil - Research Professor; Ph.D., Comenius University, 1992. 3-D magnetohydrodynamic simulations of dynamic phenomena in the solar wind including corotating interaction regions, coronal mass ejecta, and interplanetary shocks.
• Larry Paxton - Affiliate Research Professor; PhD, University of Colorado, 1983. Ionospheric physics, space weather, and climate change.
• Dean Pesnell - Affiliate Research Professor; PhD, University of Florida, 1983. Atmospheric oscillations, Hydrodynamics of real gases, nonlinear effects, Computational physics, numerical analysis, Fourier analysis of data, Quantum mechanics, collision cross sections, equation of state, and opacity, Radial and nonradial stellar pulsations, and Stellar structure.
• Art Poland - Research Professor; Ph.D., Indiana University, 1969. Energy transport processes in the solar atmosphere involving radiative transfer, hydrodynamic modeling, and the use of observational data (especially spacecraft data) to provide boundary conditions and predicted observables.
• John Shebalin - Affiliate Research Professor; PhD, College of William & Mary 1982, Fundamental aspects of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence; coherent structure and self-organization in turbulent plasmas; planetary and stellar dynamos; charged particle motion and trapping in planetary magnetic fields.
• Michael Summers - Professor; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1985; Structure and evolution of planetary atmospheres.
• Bob Weigel - Associate Professor; Director of Space Weather Lab; Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 2000. Magnetospheric physics and geomagnetism, solar wind/magnetosphere/ionosphere coupling.
• Erdal Yiğit - Associate Professor; Mars, gravity waves, geomagnetic storms, thermosphere-ionosphere
• Jie Zhang - Professor; Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1999. Solar physics and space weather research. Initiation processes of flares and coronal mass ejections, kinematic and dynamic properties of CMEs, Interplanetary CMEs and solar wind disturbances, drivers of geomagnetic storms, long-term and large scale variation of solar atmosphere, image processing methods, auto-detection of transient events, and data assimilation.

3. Students

Bell, Randy, MS, 2009 Brown, Steven, PhD, 2018 Battams, Karl, PhD, 2018 Colaninno, Robin, PhD, 2012 Chintzoglou, Georgios, PhD, 2016 Curtis, Brian, PhD, 2014 Dandenault, Patrick, PhD, 2017 Demijastre, Bob, PhD, 2004 Dhakal, Suman Evans, Rebekah Minnel, PhD, 2011 Forjan, Gary, PhD, 2009 Henderson, Christina, MS, 2007 Hess, Phil, PhD, 2015 Hess Webber, Shea, PhD, 2016

Saxena, Prabal, PhD, 2015 Karna, Nishu, PhD, 2016 Kercher, Andrew, PhD, 2014 McDonald, Sarah, PhD, 2007 Miller, Gordon, PhD 2003 Nep, Rachel, MS, 2013 Olmedo, Oscar, PhD, 2010 Own, Kelly, PhD, 2005 Poomvises, Watanachak (Yod), PhD, 2010 Rowland, William, MS, 2011 Stickley, Nathaniel, MS 2008 Veibell, Victoir, PhD, 2016 Winter, Eric

Background image from [2].