“Juxtaposing the Properties of Ground Level Enhancements (GLE) and Extreme Non-GLE Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) Events with their Solar Sources”

We're thrilled to share that Abdullah Shmies, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been accepted to the highly competitive 2025 NASA Heliophysics Summer School, taking place August 12–20 in Boulder, Colorado. Hosted by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) in collaboration with NASA, the Heliophysics Summer School brings together top graduate students and early career scientists from around the world. This year's theme, Data-Driven Heliophysics Exploration and Discovery, will explore the physics of key heliospheric domains—from the solar interior and corona to magnetospheres, ionospheres, [...]

Date: Friday, April 4th, 2025 Time: 1:00 pm CT Advisor: Dr. Stephen Fuselier “A Study of Far-Flank Reconnection at Earth’s Magnetopause using MMS ” Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process, meaning it occurs in all plasmas. Magnetic recon-nection involves the breaking and re-establishing of magnetic field lines in a plasma, such that mass and energy are transferred between plasmas. Notably, magnetic reconnection is extremely prevalent in the Earth’s magnetosphere making it an ideal laboratory to study this phenomenon. The Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) was designed to study exactly that. There is little discussion of magnetic reconnection on the [...]

Scientists at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have made a fascinating discovery regarding the interaction between Jupiter and its moon Io. Their research has revealed unexpected variations in the electrons connecting the two celestial bodies, shedding new light on the complex dynamics of Jupiter's magnetosphere. This finding challenges previous assumptions and opens new avenues for understanding the intricate relationship between planetary systems. For further reading and more detailed information, please follow the link to the full press release: https://www.swri.org/newsroom/press-releases/swri-scientists-identify-unexpected-variations-electrons-connecting-jupiter-its-moon-io

Patrice Smith said, "We are investigating the stable composition of the Moon's exosphere, which contains a diverse mix of neutral atoms and ions, ranging from abundant to trace species. To assess which species consistently contribute to the exosphere, we extract and analyze long-term far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra collected from lunar orbit." Student Success! Patrice Smith Named 2025 DPS-NSBP Speaker We're thrilled to share some fantastic news from the recent National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP)/National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP) annual meeting! Our very own graduate student, Patrice Smith (advised by Kurt Retherford), has been awarded the prestigious DPS-NSBP [...]