›Understanding Particles and Fields Throughout the Solar System

C-STAR Distinguished Lecture Series presents: Dr. Daniel N. Baker
Event Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Welcome Reception: 6 p.m.
Lecture: 7 p.m.
Location: LeCraw Auditorium, First Floor
Scheller College of Business

Even before the official dawn of the Space Age – that is, before the launch of the Sputnik and Explorer spacecraft in 1957-1958 – many investigators around the world were engaged in space physics research. Using sounding rockets to get to the fringes of outer space, early researchers made pioneering observations of the Sun and Earth’s upper atmosphere. This talk will recount some of the earlier history of contributions to Sun-Earth (“solar terrestrial”) studies. A principal focus of the talk will be the modern studies of energetic particles and electromagnetic fields in Earth’s cosmic neighborhood. CU-Boulder LASP (Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics) has been playing an increasingly prominent role in forefront studies of Earth’s “magnetosphere” and LASP researchers are using this core terrestrial knowledge to advance planetary and astrophysical understanding as well. Moreover, study and understanding of the space environment of Earth is absolutely essential for our knowledge of “space weather” which represents a major threat to our modern technological society. The presentation will address all these aspects and will conclude with a look forward to future solar system programs and opportunities.

About the C-STAR Distinguished Speaker
Dr. Daniel Baker is Director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado-Boulder and is Distinguished Professor of Planetary and Space Physics there. He holds the Moog-Broad Reach Chair of Space Sciences at CU. Dr. Baker obtained his Ph.D. with James A. Van Allen and has published over 800 papers in the refereed literature and edited eight books on topics in space physics. Awards include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics James A. Van Allen Space Environment Medal (2010), American Astronomical Society Kavli Prize Lectureship (2015), and Vikram A. Sarabhai Professorship of the Indian Physical Research Laboratory (2015). Dr. Baker is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the International Academy of Astronautics, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Baker served as chair of the National Academies 2013-2022 Decadal Survey in Solar and Space Physics. He has also served as chair of the National Research Council Committee on Solar and Space Physics, member of the National Research Council’s 2003 Decadal Survey Panel for solar and space physics, and member of the 2006 Decadal Review of the U.S. National Space Weather Program.