Mentor: Ludger Scherliess
Space Physics - Space Weather Modeling, Data Analysis
My interests involve what is broadly referred to as space weather. I am particularly interested in the Earth's ionosphere and in the development of weather models for this region. These models are much like the ones that are used for our daily weather forecasts. Undergraduate students can be involved in the development and testing of these models, in the monitoring and analysis of the day-to-day space weather, or in the study of ionospheric weather over regions like North America, Europe, or Asia.
Data Analysis: Large quantities of ionospheric data are available on a daily basis from observations on the ground and from satellites. I use this data to study physical processes that are active in the ionosphere. Undergraduate students can be involved in the analysis and interpretation of this data and/or can compare the data with output from numerical/theoretical models of the ionosphere.
Skills: Programming skills (C, Fortran, etc.) and a basic knowledge of data and error analysis are of advantage, but can also be acquired during the course.