The solar physics group in AFRL/RVBX works on a range of topics associated with space weather effects driven by the Sun. A major effort is in generating global models of the Sun's surface magnetic field (the Air Force Data Assimilative Photospheric Flux Transport model, or ADAPT), which are used extensively in the community to drive solar wind models. This work also produces  forecasts of solar activity such as sunspot number and the F10.7 index. A separate effort involves studying the sources of solar energetic particles which have significant impacts on space operations and polar activity, and a forecasting tool for energetic particle events is under development. In support of the Air Force responsibility to monitor space weather drivers, there is interest in studying the solar sources of radio emission across the full range of radio wavelengths. Short-wavelength emission from the Sun (UV and shorter wavelengths) plays a major role in the properties of the upper atmosphere of the Earth, and the group is active in studying irradiance at short wavelengths and its sources in the solar atmosphere.

References:

"The Role of Peak Temperatures in Solar X-Ray Flare Associations with CME Speeds and Widths and in Flare Size Distributions", S. Kahler & A. Ling, ApJ 901, 63, 2020 (doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abae5e)
"Operational Modeling of Heliospheric Space Weather for the Parker Solar Probe", Odstrcil et al, ApJS 246, 73, 2020 (doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ab77cb)
"The Slowly Varying Corona. II. The Components of F10.7 and Their Use in EUV Proxies", Schonfeld et al, ApJ 884, 141, 2019 (doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab3af9)

key words

Solar wind; solar energetic particles; solar magnetic fields; solar radio emission; solar EUV, X-ray and gamma-ray emission; solar irradiance; flare forecasting; modelling and data assimilation; solar variability

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral and Senior applicants