Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch
The Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch studies the coupled Sun-Earth system and the terrestrial planets and icy satellites of our solar system. Our heliophysics portfolio includes instrumentation development, sounding rocket flight, and research focusing on energy transfer across physical scales throughout the solar atmosphere. Our planetary science portfolio includes research on the origin, composition, and evolution of terrestrial planetary bodies, focusing on geological, geophysical, and related models, experiments, and observations conducted in the field, laboratory, and via analysis of remotely sensed data from space-based missions.
Amy Winebarger (ST13) recently presented a talk entitled Rocket to the Sun to two high school groups. The first presentation occurred on 7/18/23 and was given to the NASA Neurodiversity Network (N3) summer interns. This year’s interns (21 students), last …
MSFC Solar Physicist Presents to Two High Schools Read More »
Dennis Gallagher (ST13) judged 8 virtual posters in PDF form and 7 virtual oral presentations by undergraduate students participating in the 2023 UAH REU Program. The students came to UAH from different states in the US and engaged in solar, …
Poster Judging for the UAH 2023 Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) Program Read More »
Alphonse Sterling (ST13) gave an invited presentation at the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) meeting in Berlin, Germany, over 7/11-20/23. Sterling’s presentation was in the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) subsection of the IUGG, and was …
Alphonse Sterling (ST13) is co-author on a paper in Astronomy and Astrophysics (A&A), entitled: “Small-scale EUV features as the drivers of coronal upflows in the quiet Sun,” which is led Conrad Schwanitz of ETH Zürich and of PMOD/WRC, Switzerland. This …
Solar Orbiter Papers Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics Read More »
The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) 6U CubeSat, deployed into a 52-degree, 405-km orbit on 12/28/22, has measured equatorial plasma bubbles for the first time. The science team is working to understand the observations, which have more complexity than …
SPORT Satellite First Light: Observations of Plasma Bubbles Read More »