URI Physics Colloquium

The URI Physics department hosts an ongoing speaker series each academic year, which features physics experts from URI and other universities, as well as scientific organizations.

During the fall and spring semesters, colloquia are held in East Hall, Room 112. Refreshments are served before each talk at 3:30 pm in the East Hall Library or Room 112.

All are welcome, and there is no fee to attend.

Schedule for Fall 2024 

Robert Coyne

Vanita Srinivasa

Abstracts:

Exploring Earth’s Outer Atmosphere Through Soft X-Ray Emissions

This presentation will focus on the study of soft X-ray emissions from Earth’s magnetosphere. When highly charged solar wind particles interact with neutral atoms in Earth’s outer atmosphere, a process called charge exchange occurs, leading to the emission of X-ray photons. These emissions offer a unique method for imaging the interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field. By capturing X-ray images from satellites, it becomes possible to quickly map the distribution of solar wind plasma and track the movement of the dayside magnetopause, the boundary that separates Earth’s magnetosphere from the solar wind. This movement provides valuable insight into how energy from the Sun interacts with Earth’s space environment.

To further investigate these interactions, the exosphere, Earth’s outermost atmospheric layer, is modeled to study the distribution of neutral particles. The objective is to quantify the neutral density within the exosphere by simulating particle motion influenced by gravitational forces. These simulations, when compared with atmospheric models, improve our understanding of the exosphere’s structure and its role in solar wind interactions.