Zoe Schlossnagle
Montana State University Solar Physics REU 2023
Adviser: Dr. Chunming Zhu
I am a rising Junior at the University of Maryland, College Park pursuing a degree with a major in Physics and a minor in Computer Science. This summer I was a part of the Solar
Physics REU program at Montana State University. I joined in order to explore my interests in data analysis and in astrophysics.
Solar flares are eruptions of radiation from the surface of the sun. While they are primarily believed to be caused by instabilities in the suns magnetic field and stem from sunspots, what exactly triggers these instabilities and creates the right environment for a solar flare to take place is not concretely known. In this project, I studied observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and magnetic field modeling programs to identify early signs of flaring on the surface of the sun and statistacally analyze them.
SDO images the sun in multiple wavelengths, which can then be used to model the magnetic field, sunspots, and corresponding flare loops. The goal of my project is to better understand flare precursors and lead-up events. By understanding early signatures of solar flare events, we can better understand the mechanisms that trigger them.
You can view my progress by clicking the links below!
Email: zschloss@terpmail.umd.edu zoeschlossnagle@gmail.com
LinkedIn: See Profile