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AGU Honors Space Weather Scientists

2009; American Geophysical Union; Volume: 7; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1029/2009sw000513

1542-7390

Ernie Tretkoff,

Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics

AGU has recently presented two awards to space weather scientists. Yao Chen is the recipient of the 2008 Sunanda and Santimay Basu Early Career Award in Sun-Earth Systems Science. The award, given by the Space Physics and Aeronomy section of AGU, recognizes an individual scientist from a developing nation for making “outstanding contributions to research in Sun-Earth systems science that further the understanding of both plasma physical processes and their applications for the benefit of society.” Chen is recognized for his research in the field of solar physics. In particular, Chen developed a two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model for the solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). He used the model to study several solar phenomena important for space weather, such as mechanisms of energy release in CMEs and effects of Alfvén waves on the solar wind. Chen is currently on the faculty at Shandong University, in China. Patricia Reiff received the 2009 Athelstan Spilhaus Award for Enhancement of the Public Understanding of Earth and Space Science. The award honors individuals “who have devoted portions of their lives to expressing the excitement, significance, and beauty of the Earth and space sciences to the general public.” Reiff, a professor at Rice University, in Houston, Tex., is honored for her numerous education and outreach efforts, many of which have focused on space weather science. She has served on the education and outreach teams for several projects. In addition, Reiff developed a CD-ROM about heliospheric science that has been distributed to more than 130,000 teachers and the public, as well as a portable planetarium. In addition, the following space weather scientists have been elected 2009 AGU fellows: John Connerney, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.; Eigil Friis-Christensen, National Space Institute, Dragør, Denmark; Eckart Marsch, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany; and Thomas Moore, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Ernie Tretkoff is a staff writer for the American Geophysical Union.