Considering a career as a Solar Physicist? A strong physics background is essential. Experience with computer programming, engineering, math, chemistry, astronomy, and astrophysics can also be very beneficial. To be a full researcher, a PhD is necessary. However, this NSO is not the only way to work for NSO. We have engineers, masters level physicists, entry level positions, business managers, teachers, and people from many other back- National Solar Observatory grounds. AK University of Alaska Fairbanks National Solar Observatory AL University Alabama Huntsville 3665 Discovery Drive FL 3 AZ Arizona State University University of Arizona Boulder CA University of California Berkeley CO 80303 University of California Los Angeles University of California Santa Cruz [email protected] University of California San Diego www.facebook.com/ University of Southern California NationalSolarObservatory CO University of Colorado Boulder DE University of Delaware GA Georgia State University www.twitter.com/NatSolarObs @NatSolarObs HI University of Hawaii, Manoa KY Bowling Green State University MA Boston University instagram.com/ Harvard-Smithsonian nationalsolarobservatory/ MD Catholic University University of Maryland College Park youtube.com/ MI University of Michigan nationalsolarobservatory MN University of Minnesota MT Montana State University NH University of New Hampshire www.nso.edu NJ New Jersey Institute of Technology

NM New Mexico State The National Solar Observatory (NSO) is the na- tional center for ground-based solar physics in TX Rice University the United States (www.nso.edu) and is operated Solar by the Association of Universities for Research in U of Texas Austin Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agree- ment with the National Science Foundation Divi- University of Texas San Antonio sion of Astronomical Sciences. VA George Mason University The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an in- dependent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create Physics Disclaimer : This is not a comprehensive list and is subject to change. Students should knowledge that transforms the future. investigate current research opportunities before applying to these schools for graduate work. Which is cooler? Solar science is about to Fluid get hotter High Energy Physics Dynamics This is a very exciting time to enter the field of Solar Physics. In the next 3 - 5 years, the field of solar physics will get three cutting-edge Plasma observatories that together, will revolutionize Physics our understanding of the Sun.

Particle Physics Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope DKIST Thermal Physics (National Science Foundation/NSO) Electromagnetism • Cutting edge ground based observatory Optics under construction in Hawai’i. • Will be seven times more powerful than currently available. ...If you studied solar physics, • Completion scheduled for 2019, fully operational 2020. you wouldn’t have to choose! • Focus on detailed observations of the Sun’s magnetic field and dynamic behavior.

Parker Solar Probe Studying the sun is important... (NASA) • Will fly to within 4 million miles of the Sun. Understanding Climate. The energy we re- The sun as a star. There is a lot we would like ceive from the sun changes slightly on scales to know about all the stars in the universe and • Focus on the heating of the Solar Corona of milliseconds to billions of years. Under- luckily, we have one in our own backyard. We and solar wind acceleration. standing the energy input from the sun is an already know the sun’s age, radius and mass. • Launching in summer 2018 with first entry important aspect of climate models and bet- Combining this with measurements of surface into the Sun’s corona in fall of the same ter information will help make these models processes, high energy events and seismolo- year. accurate for greater spans of time. gy, we are able to know much more about dis- tant stars than we could by measuring those Solar Orbiter Space weather. Humans increasingly rely on stars alone. (ESA) Earth-orbiting satellites and power systems The sun as a physical laboratory. It’s not easy • Will fly to within 43 million km of the Sun. on the ground. Volatile space weather has to make and contain large amounts of plasma the capacity to damage satellites and disrupt in a laboratory setting. The sun acts as a nat- • Focus on measuring local solar wind power systems. Predicting these events can ural laboratory for investigating the physics plasma, fields and waves close to the Sun. help reduce damage and prevent havoc. of plasmas, magnetic fields and nuclear reac- • Launch in 2018 with arrival at the Sun in tions. 2021.