Summer 2025 REU Projects

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Project type and supervisor
  Project title and brief description
(Click title for details)
reconnection
Instrument development with 
Rachael Filwett
  Magnetometer deployment to measure Geomagnetic Induced Currents
In this project we will deploy and characterize a magnetometer on the Montana State University Campus as part of a larger public outreach program known as Space Weather UnderGround (SWUG), which can be used to study space weather effects on the ground, such as geomagnetic induced currents.
flare
Data analysis with 
Chunming Zhu
  Mapping flare ribbon evolution during multiple solar eruptions
Solar flares are among the most powerful events in our solar system. During flares, the accelerated particles deposite their energy in the chromosphere, forming two evolving ribbons. In this project, we will study the evolution of flare ribbons to understand the energy release process in solar flares.
reconnection
Data analysis with 
Keiji Yoshimura
  Exploring Relationship between Solar X-ray Irradiance and Magnetic Flux
The solar corona is known to have much higher temperature than the layers located underneath, but its heating mechanism is still unclear. In this project we will approach this unknown mechanism by comparing soft X-ray irradiance and magnetic flux data obtained by two solar space missions.
flare
Data analysis with 
Anne Lohfink
  The connection between the corona and the jets in radio galaxies
Accretion onto black holes is one of the most efficient processes for emitting energy from matter in the Universe. In this project, we will analyze X-ray observations of accreting supermassive black holes, and gain more insight into how the most high energy X-ray photons are being produced.
reconnection
Data analysis with 
Graham Kerr and Jiong Qiu
  Solar Flare Ribbon Sub-Structure and Energetics
Solar flares release a tremendous amount of energy, a significant amount of which is transported to the lower solar atmosphere. In this project we will study high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations of fine-scale structures of flare ribbons to quantify energy released in these structures.
flare
Modeling with 
Roger Scott
  Exploring the Structure of the Solar Wind as an Initial Value Problem
In this project we will explore a new technique for constructing solutions to the equations that describe the solar wind as an initial value problem in order to better understand the dependence of the solar wind on the structure of the Sun's magnetic field and the conditions at the base of the corona.