Rolling Programme in Solar and Plasma Astrophysics
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
The physics of plasmas - particularly magnetised plasmas - dictates the behaviour of much of the visible universe, from the outer layers of the Sun to the furthest reaches of the observable cosmos. In this proposal, we focus on several key unsolved problems in solar and plasma astrophysics that are also prototypes for a wider and deeper understanding of cosmic plasmas as a whole. These are: (a) how do high-energy radiating particles behave in solar flares and in interplanetary space? How are they accelerated, are they beamed and do they play a key role in flares and their terrestrial impact? (b) how does the Sun store and release energy in its magnetised atmosphere, from surface flows, to low atmosphere flaring activity? And what can be learned from the behaviour of solar plasmas to help understand hot stars or magnetised stars that are just forming? (c) How do pulsars radiate and how do plasmas behave in the extreme environments near a pulsar's surface? Our programme combines observational data with theoretical and numerical modelling, and spans a wide range of astronomical and technical problems, from solar surface flows to high-energy particle acceleration and circumstellar matter; from electromagnetic waves to relativistic particle beams; from image processing to statistical analysis of weak signals. We will bring all these skills to bear on astronomical questions at the heart of current efforts to better understand the universe.
Organisations
- University of Glasgow (Lead Research Organisation)
- California Institute of Technology (Collaboration)
- University of Oslo (Collaboration)
- George Mason University (Collaboration)
- ETH Zurich (Collaboration)
- University of Sydney (Collaboration)
- Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF READING (Collaboration)
- University of Warwick (Collaboration)
- Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (Collaboration)
- Lockheed Martin (United States) (Collaboration)
- Max Planck Society (Collaboration)
- University of California, Berkeley (Collaboration)
- High Altitude Observatory (HAO) (Collaboration)
- Johns Hopkins University (Collaboration)
- Stanford University (Collaboration)
- Observatory of Paris (Collaboration)
- University of Graz (Collaboration)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (Collaboration)
- HARVARD UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (Collaboration)
- National Institute for Astrophysics (Collaboration)
- University of St Andrews (Collaboration)
- University of Virginia (UVa) (Collaboration)
- Lowell Observatory (Collaboration)
- University of Potsdam (Collaboration)
- University of Dundee (Collaboration)
- Trinity College Dublin (Collaboration)
- QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST (Collaboration)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (Collaboration)
- Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Collaboration)
- Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) (Collaboration)
- University of Wroclaw (Collaboration)
- Uppsala University (Collaboration)
- Leibniz Association (Collaboration)
- Air Force Research Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Princeton University (Collaboration)
- University of Catania (Collaboration)
- New Jersey Institute of Technology (Collaboration)
- University of Leuven (Collaboration)
- University of Washington (Collaboration)
Publications
Battaglia M
(2011)
HARD X-RAY FOOTPOINT SIZES AND POSITIONS AS DIAGNOSTICS OF FLARE ACCELERATED ENERGETIC ELECTRONS IN THE LOW SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Battaglia M
(2013)
ELECTRON DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS IN SOLAR FLARES FROM COMBINED X-RAY AND EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Battaglia M
(2012)
NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF CHROMOSPHERIC HARD X-RAY SOURCE SIZES IN SOLAR FLARES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Battaglia M
(2012)
RHESSI AND SDO /AIA OBSERVATIONS OF THE CHROMOSPHERIC AND CORONAL PLASMA PARAMETERS DURING A SOLAR FLARE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Battaglia M
(2011)
Height structure of X-ray, EUV, and white-light emission in a solar flare
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Battaglia M
(2014)
WHERE IS THE CHROMOSPHERIC RESPONSE TO CONDUCTIVE ENERGY INPUT FROM A HOT PRE-FLARE CORONAL LOOP?
in The Astrophysical Journal
Baylor R
(2011)
ESTIMATES OF DENSITIES AND FILLING FACTORS FROM A COOLING TIME ANALYSIS OF SOLAR MICROFLARES OBSERVED WITH RHESSI
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bennet E
(2014)
Electron acceleration by magnetic collapse during decoupling
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bian N
(2012)
A CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR TURBULENT ACCELERATION PROCESSES IN SOLAR FLARES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bian N
(2014)
Resonance broadening due to particle scattering and mode coupling in the quasi-linear relaxation of electron beams
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Bian N
(2011)
Turbulent cross-field transport of non-thermal electrons in coronal loops: theory and observations
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bian NH
(2013)
Stochastic acceleration by multi-island contraction during turbulent magnetic reconnection.
in Physical review letters
Brown J
(2011)
Mass loss, destruction and detection of Sun-grazing and -impacting cometary nuclei
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Brown S
(2016)
Doppler speeds of the hydrogen Lyman lines in solar flares from EVE
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Burge C
(2014)
Effect of binary collisions on electron acceleration in magnetic reconnection
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Burge C
(2012)
Particle Acceleration in the Presence of Weak Turbulence at an X-Type Neutral Point
in Solar Physics
Dickson E
(2012)
Measurements of Electron Anisotropy in Solar Flares Using Albedo with RHESSI X-Ray Data
in Solar Physics
Dinkelaker A
(2012)
Wavelets, Intermittency and Solar Flare Hard X-rays 2. LIM Analysis of High Time Resolution BATSE Data
in Solar Physics
Dinkelaker A
(2012)
Wavelets, Intermittency and Solar Flare Hard X-rays 1. Local Intermittency Measure in Cascade and Avalanche Scenarios
in Solar Physics
Diver D
(2015)
Scale-lengths and instabilities in magnetized classical and relativistic plasma fluid models
in Physica Scripta
Fischer C
(2012)
Unusual Stokes V profiles during flaring activity of a delta sunspot
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Fleishman G
(2013)
PROBING DYNAMICS OF ELECTRON ACCELERATION WITH RADIO AND X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY, IMAGING, AND TIMING IN THE 2002 APRIL 11 SOLAR FLARE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Fleishman G
(2011)
A COLD, TENUOUS SOLAR FLARE: ACCELERATION WITHOUT HEATING
in The Astrophysical Journal
Fletcher L
(2013)
FLARE RIBBON ENERGETICS IN THE EARLY PHASE OF AN SDO FLARE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Fletcher L
(2011)
An Observational Overview of Solar Flares
in Space Science Reviews
Fletcher L
(2014)
Structures in the Outer Solar Atmosphere
in Space Science Reviews
Foullon C
(2013)
KELVIN-HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY OF THE CME RECONNECTION OUTFLOW LAYER IN THE LOW CORONA
in The Astrophysical Journal
Gordovskyy M
(2012)
Effect of Collisions and Magnetic Convergence on Electron Acceleration and Transport in Reconnecting Twisted Solar Flare Loops
in Solar Physics
Gordovskyy M
(2014)
Particle acceleration and transport in reconnecting twisted loops in a stratified atmosphere
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Graham D
(2011)
Hinode/EIS plasma diagnostics in the flaring solar chromosphere
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Graham D
(2013)
THE EMISSION MEASURE DISTRIBUTION OF IMPULSIVE PHASE FLARE FOOTPOINTS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Guo J
(2012)
Determination of the acceleration region size in a loop-structured solar flare
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Hannah I
(2013)
Multi-thermal dynamics and energetics of a coronal mass ejection in the low solar atmosphere
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Hannah I
(2012)
Differential emission measures from the regularized inversion of Hinode and SDO data
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Hannah I
(2013)
Effect of turbulent density-fluctuations on wave-particle interactions and solar flare X-ray spectra
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Hannah I
(2011)
Microflares and the Statistics of X-ray Flares
in Space Science Reviews
Hannah I
(2011)
The spectral difference between solar flare HXR coronal and footpoint sources due to wave-particle interactions
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Harra L
(2013)
THE LOCATION OF NON-THERMAL VELOCITY IN THE EARLY PHASES OF LARGE FLARES-REVEALING PRE-ERUPTION FLUX ROPES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Helling C
(2013)
IONIZATION IN ATMOSPHERES OF BROWN DWARFS AND EXTRASOLAR PLANETS. III. BREAKDOWN CONDITIONS FOR MINERAL CLOUDS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Helling C
(2013)
Dust cloud lightning in extraterrestrial atmospheres
in Planetary and Space Science
Holman G
(2011)
Implications of X-ray Observations for Electron Acceleration and Propagation in Solar Flares
in Space Science Reviews
Hudson H
(2012)
CHARGE-EXCHANGE LIMITS ON LOW-ENERGY a-PARTICLE FLUXES IN SOLAR FLARES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hudson H
(2011)
The EVE Doppler Sensitivity and Flare Observations
in Solar Physics
Hudson H
(2013)
Remote sensing of low-energy SEPs via charge exchange
Hudson H
(2013)
Cycle 23 Variation in Solar Flare Productivity
in Solar Physics
Hudson H
(2011)
Momentum Distribution in Solar Flare Processes
in Solar Physics
Inglis A
(2011)
Instrumental oscillations in RHESSI count rates during solar flares
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Innes D
(2012)
Break up of returning plasma after the 7 June 2011 filament eruption by Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jain R
(2012)
Variation of solar oscillation frequencies in solar cycle 23 and their relation to sunspot area and number
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jeffrey N
(2011)
Spatially resolved hard X-ray polarization in solar flares: effects of Compton scattering and bremsstrahlung
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
| Title | Stella Nova |
| Description | 'Stella Nova', composed by local composer Drew Mulholland, draws on themes in Astronomy developed in discussion with group members. It is scored for string quartet, oboe and percussion. It received its premier in 2014 and was recorded on a CD called 'The Norwood Variations' |
| Type Of Art | Composition/Score |
| Year Produced | 2014 |
| Impact | There have been interviews with the Composer about the music in The Wire, The Huffington Post and Times Higher Education |
| Description | This grant focused on observations and theory of solar flares, which are dramatic energy release events in the Sun's magnetic atmosphere. Our work led to a number of key findings; We developed several novel techniques to deduce properties of the fast electrons accelerated in solar flares, in the corona - how many there are, where they are accelerated, their distribution in angle. We discovered that the environment through which these fast electrons move is probably finely structured (by the magnetic field). We showed how to deduce how much plasma there is at each temperature in the corona using observations of the Sun's emission in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum, and produced software to do this very efficiently, which is now very widely used. Looking deeper into the atmosphere, we deduced the temperature structure and its evolution as a flare heats the solar chromosphere, discovering that the upper part of the chromosphere becomes even hotter than the corona at the very beginning of the flare. We also developed a technique to calculate how the solar chromosphere absorbs and emits visible radiation in a flare. This led to some puzzling results; in one flare we found that the optical radiation should be generated at a height of about 1500 km above the solar photosphere, but in another one the emission is more consistent with heating much closer to the photosphere. Perhaps there are two kinds of flares. We also investigated new models for solar flares, looking at how and where subatomic particles are accelerated. We developed ideas about how electrons pick up energy from magnetic waves and turbulence, and this has in turned opened up new theoretical avenues which may challenge long-standing ideas about solar flares as a whole. |
| Exploitation Route | Our research will be expanded upon in subsequent grants; each question stimulates more, which require new observations and theoretical development. Our investigations include basic techniques and theoretical developments in astrophysical plasmas which can be incorporated in other numerical models. The technical development of inversion software to calculate the solar plasma temperature distribution is now widely used by other solar physicists. Our observational discoveries motivate refined observing plans to address new aspects of the problems. Investigations so far have been targeted at exploiting new, large observing facilities such as LOFAR radio telescope (where our work on electron transport and radiation will be used to interpret new flare burst observations) and the IRIS spacecraft, where what we have learned about the physics of the lower solar atmosphere during flares will help decide the optimum observing strategies for this new and exciting facility. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Other |
| URL | http://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/?page_id=865 |
| Description | Our work with space missions has made us core members of 'Space Glasgow', a research cluster bringing together Glasgow University academics with expertise spanning astronomy, physics, planetary science, aerospace and satellite systems engineering. Space Glasgow is working with key organisations globally to expand knowledge and expertise in space science, technology and engineering. Space Glasgow provides an excellent opportunity to interact with industry and government representatives, and alert them to relevant parts of our solar research portfolio. Working with UK institutions, companies, and government, Kontar was one of the co-founders of the "Space wEather REsearch Network (SEREN) - securing UK space weather capabilities" (P.I. M. Hapgood), set up in response to the STFC call for "Global Challenge Networks". It supports UK-wide interactions between STFC-funded solar and heliospheric researchers, and science, technology and industry groups united by the challenge of space weather. It continues to be a key platform for exchange and collaboration. (e.g. workshop in Feb 2016). Fletcher is a member of the University's Sensor Systems Network, and co-supervises a PhD student with colleagues in Space Systems Engineering and Statistics, on the design of small satellite sensor networks for space weather monitoring, where she brings solar and space-weather knowledge to this multi-disciplinary project. The work has been presented at European Space Weather Week 2014, the RAS and the 2015 Research Students Conference in Probability and Statistics. Our research work in solar physics is also the primary resource and motivator for our comprehensive outreach activity. This work engages with members of the public, schoolchildren, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and all participants supported on this grant participate in this activity at some level. Over the course of a year, our presentations, workshops and contributions to curriculum development expose many hundreds of people to our work. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Education,Environment,Other |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | AXA Research Fellowships |
| Amount | £102,666 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | PDOC_2012_W2 |
| Organisation | AXA |
| Department | AXA Research Fund |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | France |
| Start | 10/2013 |
| End | 09/2015 |
| Description | Emeritus Fellowship |
| Amount | £14,600 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2012 |
| End | 08/2015 |
| Description | FP7 Collaborative Project |
| Amount | € 520,534 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | FP7-SPACE-2013-1/606862 F-CHROMA |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Department | Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 01/2014 |
| End | 12/2016 |
| Description | MC IRSES |
| Amount | £1,117,488 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 295272 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 06/2012 |
| End | 05/2016 |
| Title | Regularised inversion of EUV data |
| Description | Method for determining the differential emission measure of optically-thin solar plasmas |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2012 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The method has been employed in at least 30 subsequent refereed journal publications (between 02/2012 and 12/2015) |
| URL | http://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/%7Eiain/demreg/ |
| Description | Alliance: Franco-British Partnership on Acceleration and Transport of Energetic Particles |
| Organisation | Observatory of Paris |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | E. Kontar (grant Co-I) is UK PI of this team and other Co-I's and RAs are members are team members. Modeling expertise |
| Collaborator Contribution | Modeling expertise and access to data |
| Impact | Publications |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | F-CHROMA: Flare Chromospheres - Observations, Models and Archives |
| Organisation | Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic |
| Department | Astronomical Institute of Czech Academy of Sciences |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a 7-institute EC FP7 grant. Glasgow leads the project overall, and also leads one scientific workpackate |
| Collaborator Contribution | The other 6 institutes each lead a different workpackage |
| Impact | Has only just started, no concrete outcomes yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | F-CHROMA: Flare Chromospheres - Observations, Models and Archives |
| Organisation | National Institute for Astrophysics |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a 7-institute EC FP7 grant. Glasgow leads the project overall, and also leads one scientific workpackate |
| Collaborator Contribution | The other 6 institutes each lead a different workpackage |
| Impact | Has only just started, no concrete outcomes yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | F-CHROMA: Flare Chromospheres - Observations, Models and Archives |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Department | School of Mathematics and Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a 7-institute EC FP7 grant. Glasgow leads the project overall, and also leads one scientific workpackate |
| Collaborator Contribution | The other 6 institutes each lead a different workpackage |
| Impact | Has only just started, no concrete outcomes yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | F-CHROMA: Flare Chromospheres - Observations, Models and Archives |
| Organisation | University of Catania |
| Department | Department of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a 7-institute EC FP7 grant. Glasgow leads the project overall, and also leads one scientific workpackate |
| Collaborator Contribution | The other 6 institutes each lead a different workpackage |
| Impact | Has only just started, no concrete outcomes yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | F-CHROMA: Flare Chromospheres - Observations, Models and Archives |
| Organisation | University of Oslo |
| Department | Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a 7-institute EC FP7 grant. Glasgow leads the project overall, and also leads one scientific workpackate |
| Collaborator Contribution | The other 6 institutes each lead a different workpackage |
| Impact | Has only just started, no concrete outcomes yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | F-CHROMA: Flare Chromospheres - Observations, Models and Archives |
| Organisation | University of Wroclaw |
| Department | Faculty of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | Poland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a 7-institute EC FP7 grant. Glasgow leads the project overall, and also leads one scientific workpackate |
| Collaborator Contribution | The other 6 institutes each lead a different workpackage |
| Impact | Has only just started, no concrete outcomes yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic |
| Department | Astronomical Institute of Czech Academy of Sciences |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | ETH Zurich |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | New Jersey Institute of Technology |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | Observatory of Paris |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | Stanford University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | University of Graz |
| Country | Austria |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | University of Potsdam |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI Team on X-ray and radio diagnostics of energetic electrons in solar flares |
| Organisation | University of Virginia (UVa) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Team led by E. Kontar (Grant Co-I). N. Bian, I. Hannah (RAs) are team members |
| Collaborator Contribution | Team members bring observational and theoretical strengths |
| Impact | Publications, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | George Mason University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | Lockheed Martin |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | National Institute for Astrophysics |
| Department | Arcetri Observatory |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | Princeton University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | University of Dundee |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | University of Leuven |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | University of Reading |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on Magnetic Waves in Solar Flares |
| Organisation | University of Sydney |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Together with the University of Dundee I successfully applied for funding for this collaboration to be hosted at ISSI. Bern and will co-lead the team |
| Collaborator Contribution | We will work together on the theory of energy transport by MHD waves in solar flares |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | Harvard University |
| Department | Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | Johns Hopkins University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | Lowell Observatory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Department | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | National Institute for Astrophysics |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on The Science of Near-Sun Comets |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contribution of theoretical models for Sun-comet interactions |
| Collaborator Contribution | expertise in complementary areas of cometary science, in solar and heliospheric physics, as well as in the instrumentation and data analysis techniques associated with those fields, to better our understanding of comets when inside the orbit of Mercury as well as their effects on the near-Sun environment |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISSI team on flare chromospheres |
| Organisation | Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic |
| Department | Ondrejov Observatory |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I lead this team on the physics of the flaring chromosphere |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research |
| Impact | Several publications, conference presentations, observing proposals and a successful bid for EC FP7 money. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI team on flare chromospheres |
| Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Department | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I lead this team on the physics of the flaring chromosphere |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research |
| Impact | Several publications, conference presentations, observing proposals and a successful bid for EC FP7 money. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI team on flare chromospheres |
| Organisation | National Institute for Astrophysics |
| Department | Arcetri Observatory |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I lead this team on the physics of the flaring chromosphere |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research |
| Impact | Several publications, conference presentations, observing proposals and a successful bid for EC FP7 money. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI team on flare chromospheres |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Department | School of Mathematics and Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I lead this team on the physics of the flaring chromosphere |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research |
| Impact | Several publications, conference presentations, observing proposals and a successful bid for EC FP7 money. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI team on flare chromospheres |
| Organisation | University of Oslo |
| Department | Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I lead this team on the physics of the flaring chromosphere |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research |
| Impact | Several publications, conference presentations, observing proposals and a successful bid for EC FP7 money. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI team on flare chromospheres |
| Organisation | University of Washington |
| Department | Astronomy Department |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I lead this team on the physics of the flaring chromosphere |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research |
| Impact | Several publications, conference presentations, observing proposals and a successful bid for EC FP7 money. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | ISSI team on flare chromospheres |
| Organisation | University of Wroclaw |
| Country | Poland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I lead this team on the physics of the flaring chromosphere |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research |
| Impact | Several publications, conference presentations, observing proposals and a successful bid for EC FP7 money. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NASA LWS "EUV Observations of the chromosphere" |
| Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Department | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Contributed to writing a proposal (unfunded but to be resubmitted) |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed to writing a proposal (unfunded but to be resubmitted) |
| Impact | Funding proposal to NASA |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NASA LWS "EUV Observations of the chromosphere" |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Department | School of Mathematics and Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contributed to writing a proposal (unfunded but to be resubmitted) |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed to writing a proposal (unfunded but to be resubmitted) |
| Impact | Funding proposal to NASA |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NASA LWS/TRT "Dynamics and magnetic fields of flare" |
| Organisation | Bay Area Environmental Research Institute |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Contributed to writing of a successful grant proposal. Research is yet to start |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed to writing of a successful grant proposal. Research is yet to start |
| Impact | Grant proposal to NASA |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NASA LWS/TRT "Dynamics and magnetic fields of flare" |
| Organisation | High Altitude Observatory (HAO) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contributed to writing of a successful grant proposal. Research is yet to start |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed to writing of a successful grant proposal. Research is yet to start |
| Impact | Grant proposal to NASA |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NASA LWS/TRT "Dynamics and magnetic fields of flare" |
| Organisation | Stanford University |
| Department | Stanford Lockheed Institute for Space Research |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contributed to writing of a successful grant proposal. Research is yet to start |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed to writing of a successful grant proposal. Research is yet to start |
| Impact | Grant proposal to NASA |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NASA ROSES "Asymmetric magnetic reconnection" |
| Organisation | Harvard University |
| Department | Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contributed to writing a NASA grant proposal |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributed to writing a NASA grant proposal |
| Impact | Grant proposal to NASA |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | NSF SHINE "Multi-stranded dynamic flare model" |
| Organisation | Harvard University |
| Department | Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Contributed to writing a grant proposal to the NSF |
| Collaborator Contribution | Led the writing of a grant proposal to the NSF |
| Impact | Grant proposal to the NSF - unsuccessful but will be resubmitted |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NuSTAR collaboration |
| Organisation | Air Force Research Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | planning observations, data analysis, simulations |
| Collaborator Contribution | planning observations, data analysis, simulations |
| Impact | Observational plans |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NuSTAR collaboration |
| Organisation | California Institute of Technology |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | planning observations, data analysis, simulations |
| Collaborator Contribution | planning observations, data analysis, simulations |
| Impact | Observational plans |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NuSTAR collaboration |
| Organisation | University of California, Berkeley |
| Department | Space Sciences Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | planning observations, data analysis, simulations |
| Collaborator Contribution | planning observations, data analysis, simulations |
| Impact | Observational plans |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | NuSTAR collaboration |
| Organisation | University of California, Santa Cruz |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | planning observations, data analysis, simulations |
| Collaborator Contribution | planning observations, data analysis, simulations |
| Impact | Observational plans |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Physics of Comet-Sun impacts |
| Organisation | Lockheed Martin |
| Department | Space Sciences Lab |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Theory and data search |
| Collaborator Contribution | Numerical simulations and data provision |
| Impact | Refereed papers, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Physics of Comet-Sun impacts |
| Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Department | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Theory and data search |
| Collaborator Contribution | Numerical simulations and data provision |
| Impact | Refereed papers, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Physics of Comet-Sun impacts |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Department of Physics & Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Theory and data search |
| Collaborator Contribution | Numerical simulations and data provision |
| Impact | Refereed papers, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Physics of Comet-Sun impacts |
| Organisation | Uppsala University |
| Department | Department of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Theory and data search |
| Collaborator Contribution | Numerical simulations and data provision |
| Impact | Refereed papers, conference presentations |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | Leibniz Association |
| Department | Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | Observatory of Paris |
| Department | Laboratory for Space Science and Astrophysical Instrumentation |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
| Department | School of Mathematics and Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | Trinity College Dublin |
| Department | School of Physics |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Mullard Space Science Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | University of California, Berkeley |
| Department | Space Sciences Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | University of St Andrews |
| Department | School of Mathematics and Statistics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | SPARK |
| Organisation | University of Warwick |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have contributed to writing a proposal, a white paper and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Impact | A proposal to ESA, a white paper to NASA and a journal article on the SPARK mission concept |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Solar high-energy phenomena and sub-mm radiation |
| Organisation | Mackenzie Presbyterian University |
| Country | Brazil |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Calculations of the distributions of energetic secondary particles produced in nuclear reactions of fast ions in solar flares; interpretation of gamma-ray measurements of flares, for the insight they yield on the primary ion distributions. I made progress these calculations while on sabbatical in Sao Paulo, September - December 2013, with a Visiting Professor position at Mackenzie supported by FAPESP ( Research Council of Sao Paulo state). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Calculation of radio and sub-mm radiation produced by energetic ion secondaries (positrons and electrons); operating appropriate telescopes and obtaining and analysing measurements of these radiations from flares. |
| Impact | publications in preparation |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Title | Electron distributions from X-ray and EUV data |
| Description | New software for inferring the electron distribution from X-ray observations and EUV observations by simultaneously fitting RHESSI and SDO/AIA data. This yields the spatially integrated electron spectra of a coronal source from less than 0.1 keV up to several tens of keV. The results show that the total energy can only be determined accurately by combining RHESSI and AIA observations. Simultaneously fitting the proposed representation of the kappa-distribution reduces the electron number density in the analyzed flare by a factor of ~30 and the total flare energy by a factor of ~5 compared with the commonly used fitting of RHESSI spectra. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015ApJ...815...73B |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2015 |
| Impact | None yet |
| Description | "Cosmic Way" roadshow |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | ~1000 people in the West of Scotland and beyond have been exposed to key ideas from cosmic ray science, particle physics and Sun-Earth interactions, taking the contributions of CTR Wilson as a starting point, as well as the Scottish locations that were so important in his story. Most recently the roads went to Rothesay, Isle of Bute (20/6/15) with an audience of about 100 people. Outcomes of this sort of informal contact are inevitably varied, and difficult to monitor. Our attendance at the RSE "CTR Wilson" day was by invitation. A regional organiser for the IOP in the East of Scotland wanted to invite us to an outreach event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2015 |
| URL | http://www.gla.ac.uk/cosmicway |
| Description | "Meet the Expert", Glasgow Science Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I showed movies of SoHO, RHESSI and SDO observations, discussed their signficance and implications with passers-by (maybe ~200 over two days), and also let them see and discuss bits of scintillator crystal and photomultiplier tubes, hardware typical of X- and gamma-ray Astronomy missions. On the first of these days the bulk of the audience were school parties visiting the Glasgow Science Centre. Outcomes from these informal interactions with passers-by are many and varied, and difficult to monitor. Some young people certainly found the movies and discussion inspirational. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Adult education courses in Glasgow University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Many adult education courses cover a wide range of topics from Astronomy and Physics. From January - March 2014 we offered a "Highlights of Astronomy" course, in which several Glasgow University experts each took one or two evenings to discuss their topics of expertise. Reid and MacKinnon both taught on this course, covering aspects of radio astronomy (particularly LOFAR), solar flares and gamma-ray astronomy. 15 - 20 people attended each evening. Participants came from a wide range of walks of life. What they learned will feed into the rest of their private and professsional lives in many ways, not all easy to document. In particular, two of the students were staff of the Glasgow Science Centre and will draw on what they learned in future events, planetarium shows, etc. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
| URL | http://www.gla.ac.uk/courses/openstudies#Science&Astronomy |
| Description | Cafe Scientifique, Inverness |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk sparked almost an hour of discussion afterwards, and emailed requests for further information emailed requests for further information |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engage/public/cafe-scientifique-inverness-325.php |
| Description | EU video |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Participation in outreach video for for EU's Space Research and Development Unit video |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Edinburgh Science Festival Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | http://www.johncbrown.org/LifeintheUniverse.html DVD of talks |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | Lochaber to the Cosmos |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A talk on the work of the Scottish physicist CTR Wilson, the origins of his work in his stay at the Ben Nevis Observatory, early particle and cosmic ray physics, and current aspects of cosmic radiation, including Sun-Earth interaction and space weather. The talk has been given a few times per annum since about 2003, to all sorts of groups, e.g. amateur astronomy societies, church guilds, PROBUS groups, hillwalking clubs, retirement clubs, etc.; many hundreds in total. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 |
| Description | Schools mobile planetarium visits |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Every year our PhD students and junior postdocs and occasionally staff take our mobile planetarium out to schools in the region. There are about 6-8 trips a year, reaching typically 100 students at a time. - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 |
| Description | Stars Over the Botanics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Facilitation/discussion/presentations at public observing nights in a local park (Glasgow Botanical Gardens). 3-4 events per year, organised by the Astronomical Society of Glasgow - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 |
| Description | Start-up Science Masterclasses |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Group members facilitate, organise and participate in 4 weekly workshops for around 35 junior level secondary school pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged areas, and schools without a tradition of sending students to University, - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
| URL | http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/784_StartupScienceMasterclasses.html |
| Description | Stella Nova |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Again, none of the options above describe this. Stella Nova was a musical collaboration between us and a local composer. The output was a beautiful musical composition on an astronomical theme which was performed in Glasgow and in Edinburgh Musical composition |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Talks at Glasgow Science Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 2 talks on solar physics to about 50-60 members of general public. Associated with Venus Transit. Probably there were more talks in earlier years too - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Talks to Astronomy Societies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Every year, postdoc and staff members of our group give several talks on the Sun and space weather to local and national astronomy societies. Typically there are about 10-12 such talks a year, with audiences between 10 and 40 adults and sometimes children - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016 |
| Description | The Norwood Variations |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Astronomical themes influenced a composition (Stella Nova) on this CD (The Norwood Variations) by a local composer. The CD sold out. Over the course of a couple of years, the CD has attracted attention from publications such as the Huffington Post, The Wire and Times Higher |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2016 |
| URL | http://strangeattractor.co.uk/shoppe/the-norwood-variations-drew-mulholland/ |
| Description | The Cosmic Way |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The "Cosmic Way roadshow" is a combination of displays and hands-on activities aimed at introducing some basics of particle, nuclear and cosmic-ray physics and Sun-Earth interactions. It also aims to tell the story of CTR Wilson, using biography, history and the Scottish context of these stories as a vehicle for engagement with the underlying scientific ideas. It was developed with funding from the Scottish Government and the Institute of Physics. It has been taken twice to the Fort William Mountain Festival, several times to a "Family Fun Science Day" at Mugdock Country Park near Glasgow, to the Middle of Scotland Science Festival (a pop-up science festival concentrating on isolated, rural locations: Crianlarich, Stirling; Ardfern, Argyll; Rothesay, Isle of Bute), to the CTR Wilson celebration day at the Royal Society of Edinburgh as well as other events and locations across central Scotland. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 |
| URL | http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/education/research/researchprojects/cosmicwayroadshow/ |
| Description | The Cosmic Way |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Roadshow (activities and displays) on cosmic rays, elementary particles, and solar-terrestrial interactions, drawing on the work of CTR Wilson and the Scottish locations and context of his science - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013 |
| Description | Tours of Remote Scottish Schools |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Group members have made particular efforts to arrange and participate in tours of Schools well outside the Central Belt of Scotland, including in Orkney, Shetland, Caithness, Kintyre. Typically this will involve speaking to all physics (or sometimes science) students in 2 or 3 secondary schools, about a topic in solar physics and having a discussion afterwards - |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 |
| Description | University of the 3rd Age |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk sparked questions and discussion afterwards Emailed requests for further information |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://u3asites.org.uk/code/u3asite.php?site=274&page=9383 |