University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and EOS Spheres Space (EOS) 1-1-2003 EOS spheres, Vol. 2, Issue 2 (Spring 2003) University of New Hampshire. Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/spheres Recommended Citation University of New Hampshire. Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, "EOS spheres, Vol. 2, Issue 2 (Spring 2003)" (2003). EOS Spheres. 5. https://scholars.unh.edu/spheres/5 This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in EOS Spheres by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Spheres Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space • A University of New Hampshire Research Institute • Morse Hall, Durham, NH What Goes Up Must More Than the Sum of Their Parts Come Down Amitava AIRMAP and Somewhere in space above us, and in the white-hot Bhattacharjee Named GroundWinds haze around the Sun, develop John Alexander Simpson’s Peter Paul Chair balloon-based legacy lives on, bleeping Professor instruments. measurements relentlessly across the void back Amitava toward Earth. Bhattacharjee 3 –Chicago Tribune obituaries, of the September 2, 2000 University Where the Buffalo Toward Earth and, of Iowa has Roam . eventually, right here to been named the Barkley Sive Durham. The legacy of Peter T. Paul and team John Simpson - cosmic ray Chair within study Ulysses was launched in 1990 to study interplanetary pioneer, inventor of the space at high solar latitudes. A Jupiter fly-by in 1992 the Space Yellowstone’s boosted the spacecraft into an orbit over the Sun's polar neutron monitor, and a Science Center air quality. regions. Photo courtesy of European Space Agency. Amitava Bhattacharjee scientific group leader for and the Physics the Manhattan Project - lives on at UNH through the work of Bruce Department. Dr. Bhattacharjee is currently 4 McKibben, Jim Connell, and Clifford Lopate. The three astrophysicists Director of the Center for Magnetic came to UNH and EOS from the University of Chicago where they were Reconnection Studies in the Department Water World part of the legendary John Simpson Cosmic Physics Group a.k.a. “The of Physics and Astronomy. His research Charles Chicago Mafia.” Simpson was the don, and when he passed away at the interests include magnetohydrodynamics, Vörösmarty’s age of 83, McKibben, Connell, and Lopate needed to find a new home. magnetic reconnection, turbulence theory Global Water and singularity formation, free-electron Systems “The interests of most of the rest of the faculty had moved on so we were laser theory, and dusty plasma theory. sort of isolated there. It wasn’t a viable place to stay,” says McKibben, who Project. He received his Ph.D. at Princeton spent 35 years working with Simpson and is the elder statesman of the University (1981) in theoretical plasma 6 three. The move to Durham was a natural one. “We had known for years physics from the Department of that UNH has one of the strongest space physics programs in the Astrophysical Sciences. He and his students country” McKibben says in reference to UNH’s general reputation and and postdoctoral colleagues have authored their own experience collaborating with UNH scientists. With their Spring 2003 over 130 refereed publications with broad arrival, space physics at UNH is that much stronger. Moreover, notes Jim applications to laboratory, space and Vol. 2 Issue 2 Ryan of the Department of Physics and the Space Science Center, since astrophysical plasmas. At the University the three bring with them the neutron monitor programs based in of Iowa, he has received the James Van Climax, Colorado and Haleakala, Hawaii, UNH now has bragging rights. Allen Natural Sciences Fellowship (1996) “Our collection of neutron monitors in the U.S. is second to none,” says and the Faculty Scholar (1997-2000) award. Ryan. UNH has had two neutron monitors (one atop Mt. Washington, and one discreetly tucked under a red dome at DeMeritt Hall) for The Center for Magnetic Reconnection decades. The Climax neutron monitor, built by Simpson in Studies (CMRS) is a multi-institutional 1950, is the oldest continuously operating neutron consortium established in August 2001 monitor in the world. Its archival data set of under the auspices of the Scientific cosmic ray activity is used to analyze the Sun’s Discovery through Advanced Computing 22-year cycles and gives insight into the (SciDAC) initiative of the Department of structure of the heliosphere (the region of space Energy. Understanding magnetic through which the solar wind extends) and the reconnection is one of the principal way particles propagate and travel through the challenges in plasma physics. Reconnection Sun’s magnetic fields. All this, in turn, is useful is a process by which magnetic fields in helping explain how particles flow through reconfigure themselves, releasing energy that the solar wind and how “space weather” works. can be converted to particle energies and continued on page 2 bulk flows. From left to right, Cliff Lopate, Jim Connell, Look to the next issue of Spheres for more and Bruce McKibben with a “flight spare” portion of the COSPIN package aboard Ulysses, which on the Bhattacharjee appointment. - DS includes the High Energy Telescope they built. From the Director A Time to Grow EOS Spheres is published seasonally by the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Turn, turn, turn. To everything, there is (see the page 1 Space at the University of New Hampshire. We welcome comments and suggestions. a season. It is now springtime in New story). That Spheres Newsletter Hampshire and we are delighted that in makes seven new Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, this season of change and renewal the faculty and and Space (EOS) Morse Hall, Room 309 Institute itself is being replenished – to perhaps ten post- 39 College Road, Durham, NH 03824 the bursting point! We are currently doctoral fellows, Tel: (603) 862-5369 welcoming the largest addition to the and this is just in www.eos.unh.edu EOS faculty in our history. the Space Science Director: Berrien Moore III Center! The Associate Director: David Bartlett The creation and filling of the Peter T. Editor: David Sims Physics Department is sharing our pride Graphic Designer: Kristi Donahue Paul Chair in Space Physics marks a since these are all joint appointments. Circulation: Clara Kustra sea change for the Institute, and we are Printed with soy inks on 100% post-consumer recycled We have also grown in our centers that paper, manufactured chlorine-free. delighted that Professor Amitava Bhattacharjee has accepted the investigate things closer to home. In appointment. Prof. Bhattacharjee joins the Earth Sciences, Professor James E. our Space Science Center from the Bauer from the School of Marine More Than the Sum of University of Iowa, where he held the Science at the College of William and Their Parts continued from page 1 prestigious University Professorship Mary has accepted a joint position of appointment (see page 1). Coming Professor within the Ocean Process Lopate is now the Principle Investigator for from Iowa with Prof. Bhattacharjee Analysis Laboratory (OPAL) in EOS Climax as well as the IMP-8 satellite. will be Research Assistant Professor and the Department of Earth Sciences. Earlier in the year Senior Research McKibben is the PI for the Cosmic and Solar Chung-Sang Ng. Scientist Mark Dowell (OPAL) was Particle Investigation (COSPIN) instrument In conjunction with Prof. Bhattacharjee’s promoted to Research Assistant aboard the Ulysses spacecraft. Launched in arrival, Prof. Joachim Raeder of UCLA Professor and Prof. Rob Griffin from October of 1990 to explore the uncharted has accepted an appointment as Associate Duke University accepted a joint regions of the Sun’s north and south poles, Professor in the Space Science Center appointment as Assistant Professor in Ulysses is still “bleeping measurements (SSC). The Bhattacharjee, Raeder, Ng our Climate Change Research Center relentlessly across the void.” However, the success team, coupled with our Solar-Terrestrial (CCRC). Since Rob arrived from of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Theory Group, will allow us to start a southern climes in January 2003, he is satellite, launched in 1997, muscled into a major new initiative in the computational particularly pleased (relieved) to see the portion of Ulysses’ territory. “ACE ate our approach to plasma physical problems, in seasonal turning. lunch,” McKibben says referring to ACE’s ability the laboratory, in the solar system, and in to measure the isotopic composition of galactic far-away astrophysical objects. Ten new faculty in less than ten months. cosmic rays much more rapidly than the With this renewal, we again express our COSPIN instrument on Ulysses. The advance Preceding these most recent additions, commitment to understanding the was no small thanks to Eberhard Moebius, earlier this year Professor Charles Smith fundamental processes that control the UNH’s lead investigator on the ACE mission. from the Bartol Research Institute at universe and shape life on Earth and our Moebius calls the addition of the Chicago group the University of Delaware accepted a dedication to creating an intellectual and “a coup.” Now occupying the same physical Research Professorship in the SSC, scientific environment that advances space, McKibben says he and his colleagues are and there was also the appointment of visionary scholarship and leadership in looking forward to increased collaboration with our three new colleagues from Chicago the Earth and space sciences. the UNH ACE investigators “to tease out the similarities and differences between observations in the ecliptic with ACE and observations over the Sun’s poles with Ulysses.” instrumentation suitable for even small and buck.