Roger Smith
ROGER W. SMITH, Director and Professor of Physics; University of Exeter, 1963 B.S., 1967 Ph.D. Smith joined the Geophysical Institute in 1984. His main research interest has been in the remote sensing of upper atmosphere winds, their generation and their consequences. Pursuing the need to make observations in support of these studies, Smith has spent many months at remote Arctic and Antarctic locations.
- Memberships
- The Institute of Physics, Committee member of Irish Branch, 1978-1982
- The American Geophysical Union, Translation Committee, 1988 – 1992
- US Editorial Advisor for International Journal of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, 1997-Present
- International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy: Chairman of Working Group 2 for Thermospheric Dynamics, 1986-1990
- Awards
- 1990 NSF Antarctica Service Medal of the United States of America
- 1990 Merit Award of the College of Natural Sciences of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in recognition of distinguished achievement in teaching, research and service to the Physics Department and the Geophysical Institute
- Director, Geophysical Institute (2000-2011)
- Interim Director, Geophysical Institute (1999-2000)
- Associate Director, Geophysical Institute (1996-1999)
- Professor of Physics, Geophysical Institute (1989-1996)
- Associate Professor of Physics, Geophysical Institute (1984-1989)
- Reader in Physics, Ulster Polytechnic (1981-1984)
- Senior Lecturer in Physics, Ulster Polytechnic (1975-1981)
- Lecturer in Physics, Ulster Polytechnic (1971-1975)
- Research Fellow and Teaching Assistant, Queens University, Belfast (1968-1971)
- Senior Research Fellow, Exeter University (1966-1968)
My general interests are in Solar-Terrestrial Physics with particular emphasis on high latitude phenomena. Studies of wind and temperature fields in the upper atmosphere have been a long-term activity leading to new understanding of magnetosphere-ionosphere-neutral atmosphere interactions. Another interest is in the wave phenomena found in the upper atmosphere, which has lead to a new understanding of the wave spectra at very high latitudes. More recently I have taken an interest in the presence of ionospheric ions in the magnetosphere and the possibility of optical imaging of the magnetosphere from spacecraft. I have also studied the auroral signatures of flux transfer between the solar wind and the magnetosphere. Many of these interests have lead me to make observations at very high latitudes in the Arctic (beginning 1978) and Antarctic (beginning 1982).
- Smith, R.W., Neutral winds in the Polar Cap. In: Exploration of the Polar Upper Atmosphere, 189-198, Deehr, C.S. and J. Holtet (eds.), Reidel, 1980.
- Smith, R W. and P.J. Sweeney, Winds in the thermosphere of the northern Polar Cap, Nature, 284, 437-438, 1980.
- Rees, D., T.J. Fuller-Rowell, and R.W. Smith, Rocket-borne and ground-based measurements of high altitude thermospheric winds in the context of a 3-D time dependent model, Planet. Spa. Sci., 28, 919, 1980.
- Deehr, C.S., G.G. Sivjee, A. Egeland, K. Henriksen, P.E. Sandholt, R.W. Smith, P.J. Sweeney, C. Duncan, and J. Gilmer, Ground-based observations of F-region aurora associated with the magnetospheric cusp, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 2185-2192, 1980.
- Henriksen, K., P.E. Sandholt, A. Egeland, R.W. Smith, and C. Duncan, Optical measurements of a nightside poleward expanding aurora, J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 44, 71-79, 1982.
- Smith, R.W., G.G. Sivjee, R.D. Stewart, F.G. McCormac, and C.S. Deehr, Polar cusp ion drift studies through high resolution interferometry of O+ 7320A emission, J. Geophys. Res., 87, 4455-4460, 1982.
- Rees, D., R.W. Smith, P.J. Charleton, F.G. McCormac, and A. Steen, The generation of vertical thermospheric winds and gravity waves at auroral latitudes. I. Observations of vertical winds, Planet. Spa. Sci., 32, 667‑685, 1984.
- Smith, R.W., K. Henriksen, C.S. Deehr, D. Rees, F.G. McCormac, and G.G. Sivjee, Thermospheric winds in the cusp: dependence on the latitude of the cusp, Planet. Spa. Sci., 33, 305-313, 1985.
Glenn Shaw book signing at Gulliver's Jan. 14
Glenn Shaw, Professor Emeritus of Physics and a fixture at the Geophysical Institute since 1971, has just written a memoir, Fingerprints on the Moon: My Life in Physics. It is available from the man himself, at Gulliver's Books, or through Amazon.
Hui Zhang
- Awards
- 2010, Principal Investigator for proposal titled "Multi-Spacecraft Investigation of Hot Flow Anomalies" funded by National Science Foundation for 3 years
- 2010, Co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Dr. Nick Omidi) for proposal titled "Bow Shock-Magnetopause Coupling Processes as a Function of IMF Orientation" funded by National Science Foundation for 5 years
- 2008, NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 2007, Outstanding Student Paper Awards in American Geophysical Union 2007 Fall Meeting
- 2006, Outstanding Student Paper Awards in American Geophysical Union 2006 Spring Meeting
- Memberships
- Member of the American Geophysical Union 2002 – Present
- Member of Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM), 2002 – Present
- Member of Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS), 2005 – Present
- 2010-Present - Assistant Professor, Physics Department & Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
- 2008-2010 - Postdoctoral Fellow, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
- Structure and dynamics of the Earth's dayside magnetosphere including the magnetosheath, magnetopause, boundary layer, cusp
- Energetic particle acceleration by magnetic reconnection
- Diffusion Region Physics
- Interaction of interplanetary shocks with the Earth's bow shock, magnetosphere, and the global effects resulting from the interaction, such as particle accelerations in the inner magnetosphere and magnetic pulsations on the ground
- Foreshock phenomena such as Hot Flow Anomalies and foreshock cavities
- MHD simulations
- Zhang, H., D. G. Sibeck, Q.-G. Zong, J. P. McFadden, S. B. Mende, K. H. Glassmeier, and K. Yumoto, "Global Magnetospheric Response to an Interplanetary Shock: THEMIS Spacecraft and Ground Magnetometer Observations", contributed talk at THEMIS SWG meeting, Annapolis, MD, September 14-16, 2009.
- Zhang, H., Q.-G. Zong, D. G. Sibeck, T. A. Fritz, J. P. McFadden, K. H. Glassmeier, D. Larson, "Dynamic Motion of Bow Shock and Magnetopause and the Magnetospheric Response-THEMIS Observations", invited talk at Asia Oceania Geosciences Society 6nd annual meeting, Singapore, 11-15 August 2009.
- Zhang, H., D. G. Sibeck, Q.-G. Zong, J. P. McFadden, K.-H. Glassmeier, J. W. Bonnell, A. Roux, "THEMIS Observations of A Series of Hot Flow Anomalies", contributed talk at 2009 GEM workshop, Snowmass, CO, June 21-26, 2009.
- Zhang, H., D. G. Sibeck, Q.-G. Zong, J. P. McFadden, K.-H. Glassmeier, J. W. Bonnell, A. Roux, "THEMIS Observations of A Series of Hot Flow Anomalies", contributed talk at THEMIS SWG meeting, Boulder, CO, March 23-25, 2009.
- Zhang, H., Q.-G. Zong, D. G. Sibeck, T. A. Fritz, J. P. McFadden, K. H. Glassmeier, D. Larson, "Dynamic Motion of Bow Shock and Magnetopause and the Magnetospheric Response-THEMIS Observations", contributed talk at 2008 GEM workshop, Midway, Utah, 22-27 June 2008.
- Zhang, H., T. A. Fritz, Q.-G. Zong, G. L. Siscoe, A. J. Ridley, J. Raeder, "Multiple Cusps under Northward IMF Conditions: Observations and MHD Simulations Compared", invited talk at 2008 Joint Assembly, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 27-30 May 2008, Abstract SM54A-01.
- Zhang, H., Q.-G. Zong, D. G. Sibeck, T. A. Fritz, "Dynamic Motion of Bow Shock and Magnetopause Observed by THEMIS", contributed talk at THEMIS 7th Science Working Team meeting, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, 9-11 April 2008.
- Zhang, H., Q.-G. Zong, D. G. Sibeck, T. A. Fritz, "Energetic Particles in Low Latitude Boundary Layer THEMIS Observations", contributed talk at THEMIS 7th Science Working Team meeting, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, 9-11 April 2008.
- Zhang, H., Q.-G. Zong, T. A. Fritz, S. Y. Fu, S. Schaefer, K. H. Glassmeier, P. W. Daly, H. Reme, A. Balogh, "Cluster Observations of Collisionless Hall Reconnection at High-Latitude Magnetopause" contributed talk at EARTH-SUN SYSTEM EXPLORATION ENERGY COUPLING WITHIN AND BETWEEN PLASMA REGIMES, Kona, Hawaii, USA, January 14-18, 2008.
Charles Wilson
Charles Wilson has a background of research in glaciology, cosmic rays, and auroral-magnetic phenomena. Wintered over in Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year and participated in the 1600 mile Victoria Land traverse. His recent work concerns the study of infrasonic waves associated with the aurora, volcanic eruptions, and marine storms. He received a congressional gold medal for saving a man's life in Antarctica in 1958.
Denise Thorsen
- Honors and Awards
- Nominated Harold L. Olesen Award (1991): “Excellence in undergraduate teaching by graduate students”
- Included in “List of teachers ranked excellent by their students”
- CEDAR 1993, Student Poster Prize
- Memberships
- Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
- American Geophysical Union
- URSI - Commission G
- American Society for Engineering Education
- Assistant Professor, University of Alaska, Fairbanks (2001 – Present)
- Research Scientist, University of Colorado, CIRES (1996-2000)
- Lecturer, University of Colorado (1996, 1998, 1999)
- Research Assistant, University of Illinois, Wave Propagation Lab (1987 – 1996)
- Independent Engineering Consultant (1991 – 1992)
- Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois (1989 - 1992, 1996)
- Staff Engineer, Hughes Aircraft, Space and Communications Group (1985 - 1987)
- Independent Engineering Consultant (1984)
- Cooperative Engineering Student, Raytheon, Missile Systems Division, 3 terms (1983 – 1984)
- Development of digital instrumentation and computer interfaces for acquisition of radar backscatter data
- Scattering mechanisms and propagation of radio signals through random media
- Radar techniques for observing the middle atmosphere, including neutral atmospheric wind motions, turbulence, temperature, and electron densities
- Wave dynamics and their interaction with the background atmosphere, including coupling of atmospheric regions, interactions between large-scale and small-scale wave motions, and global scale energy flux distributions
Curt Szuberla
Dr. Szuberla joined the Geophysical Institute and the Physics Department of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2005. His research interests include atmospheric infrasound and digital signal processing. He studies various geophysical and man-made sources of infrasound and the array processing techniques required to detect and characterize them. His current projects center on infrasound-based nuclear explosion monitoring, as part of the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
Juan Roederer
- Neurobiological Foundations of Religion and Science, in Seckbach and Gordon, eds., Divine Action and Natural Selection: Questions of Science and Faith in Biological Evolution, World Scientific Publ. Co. (2008).
- Biological Conditions for the Emergence of Musical Arts in a Civilization of Intelligent Beings (Chapter in Between Worlds, D. Vakoch ed., MIT Press, 2008).
Antonius Otto
- Magnetic Reconnection
- Plasma Entry (Kelvin Helmholtz Modes)
- Magnetotail Dynamics
- Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling
