Aurora: The Dynamic Optical Signature of Space Weather

Aurora light up the sky over Sarkofagen south of Longyearbyen (Photo: Austin Andrews)
Friday, February 16, 2018 - 16:00 to 17:00
Physics Chemistry Theatre, Science Building

Dr. Daniel Whiter

University of Southampton

Dr. Whiter leads the operation of the University of Southampton's state-of-the-art optical instruments located on Svalbard in the high Arctic. These instruments (imagers and a spectrograph) measure fine-scale structures in the aurora and airglow in exquisite detail. By combining such observations with results from an advanced ionospheric model we can learn a great deal about the space environment and plasma processes which produce the beautiful aurora.