Energetics of Magnetic Reconnection in Solar Flares

Simon Shepard

Montana State University Solar Physics REU 2024

Dr. Jiong Qiu

About Me

Hi! I am a rising senior at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY. I am a Physics major with minors in both Mathematics and Astronomy. At WKU, I do my own research on solar flare spectroscopy by creating line profiles for different emissions using data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph. This summer, I am doing something similar by looking at how magnetic reconnection of solar flares causes the release of thermal energy as well as where this thermal energy goes. This project uses data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, which includes the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. After this project, I hope to finish my degree at WKU while continuing my research there, and I plan to attend some graduate school, study physics and solar flares, and work toward obtaining my doctorate.


Research Project

Simon Shepard, Dr. Jiong Qiu