Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch
The Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch studies the coupled Sun-Earth system and the terrestrial planets and icy satellites of our solar system. Our heliophysics portfolio includes instrumentation development, sounding rocket flight, and research focusing on energy transfer across physical scales throughout the solar atmosphere. Our planetary science portfolio includes research on the origin, composition, and evolution of terrestrial planetary bodies, focusing on geological, geophysical, and related models, experiments, and observations conducted in the field, laboratory, and via analysis of remotely sensed data from space-based missions.
Alphonse Sterling (ST13) gave an invited presentation at the fourth Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH-4) Science Meeting, in Boulder, CO, on 7/7/23. PUNCH “is an in-development NASA mission that will image the outer corona and solar wind …
Dennis Gallagher (ST13) presented his lecture on Inner Magnetospheric Physics to UAH REU students on 6/1/23 at the National Space Science & Technology Center. They participated in a lively Q&A session following the lecture.
Alphonse Sterling (ST13) was co-convener at the JpGU meeting in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, for a session entitled “Frontiers of Solar Physics.” The convener was Shin Toriumi, and other co-conveners were Takaaki Yokoyama and Shinsuke Imada. Sterling also acted as …
Session Co-Convener at Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU) Meeting 2023 Read More »
David McKenzie (ST13) gave a public presentation as part of the Astronomy On Tap global outreach initiative. The talk, entitled “Solar Flares, Space Climate, and Life on Other Planets”, featured solar flares and space weather effects, and considerations for the …
Public Talk on Space Weather and Exoplanet Research Read More »
The Scintillation Prediction Observations Research Task (SPORT) satellite is continuing to make progress with the spacecraft (s/c) commissioning and instrument procedures. Science data from all four science experiments have been received, and all data (to date) indicate that the science …
SPORT Satellite Receives Science Data from Multiple Instruments Read More »