Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Nelson Leslie Reginald

(RESEARCH SCIENTIST)

Nelson Leslie Reginald's Contact Card & Information.
Email: nelson.l.reginald@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.3040
Org Code: 671
Address:
NASA/GSFC
 Mail Code 671
 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: CATHOLIC UNIV OF AMERICA

Brief Bio

Dr. Reginald earned his BSc (1994) in Physics and Pure Mathematics from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and his MS (1997) and PhD (2001) in Physics from the University of Delaware, USA. Dr. Reginald held a NASA Graduate Student Research Fellowship from January 1998 to December 2000 that allowed him to conduct his Ph.D. dissertation research at Goddard under the supervision of Dr. Joseph M. Davila. The dissertation work had a theory component of establishing the relationship between the polarized brightness spectrum of the solar corona and the radial flow speed of the electrons. By then the relationship between the polarized brightness spectrum and the electron temperature and density was already established. The instrument component of the dissertation work required for the design of an experiment to simultaneously measure the solar coronal spectrum from multiple locations on the solar corona during the total solar eclipse of 1999 in Turkey to measure electron density (magnitude of the spectrum), temperature (shape of the spectrum), radial speed (red shift of the spectrum). Since graduation to date Dr. Reginald has continued to work full time at Goddard through The Catholic University of America. During this period at Goddard Dr. Reginald has worked as a team member for the COR1 instrument on STEREO, SPICE instrument on Solar Orbiter, and most importantly continued to advance his Ph.D. dissertation research by conducting field experiments during total solar eclipses of 2000 (South Africa), 2001 (Zambia), 2006 (Libya), 2008 (China), Indonesia (2015), and United States (2017). This work culminated in a Balloon based coronagraph experiment in New Mexico, USA (2019), and followed by the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) to the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2024. Dr. Reginald is Co-Investigator and the Operations Manager for the CODEX Mission. As Operations Manager Dr. Reginald is responsible for establishing the CODEX Command Center in Goddard to be able to command and receive telemetry from CODEX berthed on the ISS via NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

 

Research Interests

Simultaneous and Global Measurements of both the Electron Temperature and its Radial Flow Speed

Heliophysics: Solar Atmosphere

We designed  the Multi Aperture Coronal Spectrograph (MACS) and the Imaging Spectrograph of Coronal Electrons (ISCORE) to conduct ground experiments during total solar eclipses to simultaneously and globally measure the electron temperature and its radial flow speed. These experiments were conducted in conjunction with the total solar eclipses over two decades from 1999 to 2020. This work has now culminated in conducting this experiment from space using a coronagraph. This experiment names Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) will fly to the International Space Station in September 2024 onboard the SpaceX-31. This experiment will image the solar corona in white light through 5 color filters that are centered at various wavelength locations to create maps of electron density, temperature, and radial speed.

Current Projects

Instrumentation

Solar Atmosphere

Member of the team that designed, tested and built the Coronagraph-1 (COR1) instrument for the STEREO Mission in 2006. The Goddard team was led by Dr. Joseph M. Davila.

Member of the team that designed, tested and built the detector for the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument for the Solar Orbiter Mission in 2018. The Goddard team was led by Dr. Joseph M. Davila.

Member of the team that designed, tested and built the coronagraph for the Goddard Mini Coronagraph (GMC) instrument. The Goddard team was led by Dr. Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy.

Member of the team designing, testing, and building the CODEX instrument to fly to the International Space Station in September 2024. The Goddard team is led by Dr. Jeffrey Newmark.

 

Positions/Employment

Research Scientist

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, Maryland

January 2000 - Present

Came to Goddard as a Graduate Student in January 1998 to conduct my dissertation research under the tutelage of Dr. Joseph M. Davila and graduated from the University of Delaware in December 2000. Since January 2001 has been working at Goddard full time through The Catholic University of America.

Education

1973-1986:
S.Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka (Grade1-12) G.C.E. Ordinary Level (1982), Advanced Level (1985)
1988-1990:
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), United Kingdom
Management Accountant (1990)
1990-1993:
University of Peradeniya, Department of Physics, Sri Lanka,
B.Sc. (Hon.) (1993) Major/Minor in Physics/Pure Mathematics
External examiner: Prof. Arnold Wolfendale, Astronomer Royal, UK
1994-1997:
University of Delaware, Department of Physics and Astronomy, USA
MS (1997)
Thesis title: 'The effects of element diffusion in the horizontal branch morphology of globular cluster stars '
Thesis committee chairman: James MacDonald, Ph.D.
1997:
International Summer School on Sun as seen from Space, L'Aquila, Italy
1998-2000:
University of Delaware, Department of Physics and Astronomy, USA
Ph.D. (2000)
Thesis title: 'MACS, an Instrument and a methodology for Simultaneous and Global Measurements of the Coronal Electron Temperature and the Solar Wind Velocity on the Solar Corona'
Thesis supervisor at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center: Joseph M. Davila, Ph.D.
Thesis committee chairman: Dermott J. Mullan, Ph.D.

Professional Societies

American Physical Society

Member

2001 - Present

American Geophysical Union

Member

2014 - Present

American Astronomical Society

Member

2014 - Present

Awards

1990: University Scholarship for topping the batch in the GSQ examination, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
1992: Prof. Arnold Wolfendale Prize for Physics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
1993: Dr. H.W. Hewavitharana Prize for Physics, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
1994-1997: Full tuition scholarship and teaching assistantship, University of Delaware, USA
1998-2000: NASA Research Fellowship administered through the University of Delaware, USA

Other Professional Information

1978-1985: Field Hockey, S. Thomas' College, Awarded Colours 1985
1978-1985: Basketball, S. Thomas' College, Awarded Colours 1985
1984-1985: Diving, S. Thomas' College, Awarded Colours, 1985
1980-1984: Cadet Corps, S. Thomas' College
1984-1985: Member Boxing Squad, S. Thomas' College
1990-1992: Rugby, University of Peradeniya, Awarded Colours 1992
1992: First place in the inter-university quiz competition in physics
Represented the Department of Physics, University of Peradeniya
1990-1992: Field Hockey, University of Peradeniya, Awarded Colours 1992

Selected Publications

Refereed

2024. "The multiview observatory for solar terrestrial science (MOST)." Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 254 106165 [10.1016/j.jastp.2023.106165] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "A Technique to Measure Coronal Electron Density, Temperature, and Velocity Above $2.5\ \mathrm{R}_{\odot}$ from Sun Center Using Polarized Brightness Spectrum." Solar Physics 298 (5): 73 [10.1007/s11207-023-02160-3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Statistical Error Analysis on White-Light Filter Ratio Experiments to Measure Electron Parameters." Solar Physics 296 (10): 146 [10.1007/s11207-021-01887-1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "The Balloon-Borne Investigation of Temperature and Speed of Electrons in the Corona (BITSE): Mission Description and Preliminary Results." Solar Physics 296 (1): 15 [10.1007/s11207-020-01751-8] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Synoptic Measurements of Electron Temperature and Speed in the Solar Corona with Next Generation White-Light Coronagraph." Solar Physics 295 (7): 95 [10.1007/s11207-020-01665-5] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Measuring Electron Temperature Using a Linear Polarizer Versus a Polarization Camera." Solar Physics 294 (7): 100 [10.1007/s11207-019-1491-x] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Dependence of DOLP on Coronal Electron Temperature, Speed, and Structure." Solar Physics 294 (1): 12 [10.1007/s11207-019-1398-6] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Evaluating Uncertainties in Coronal Electron Temperature and Radial Speed Measurements Using a Simulation of the Bastille Day Eruption." Solar Physics 293 (5): 82 [10.1007/s11207-018-1301-x] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Variation of Coronal Activity from the Minimum to Maximum of Solar Cycle 24 using Three Dimensional Coronal Electron Density Reconstructions from STEREO/COR1." Solar Physics 292 (8): 97 (32 pp) [10.1007/s11207-017-1130-3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Replacing the polarizer wheel with a polarization camera to increase the temporal resolution and reduce the overall complexity of a solar coronagraph." Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems 3 (1): 014001 [10.1117/1.jatis.3.1.014001] [Journal Article/Letter]

2014. "Evaluating the Uncertainties in the Electron Temperature and Radial Speed Measurements Using White Light Corona Eclipse Observations." Evaluating the Uncertainties in the Electron Temperature and Radial Speed Measurements Using White Light Corona Eclipse Observations 289 (6): 2021-2039 [Full Text] [10.1007/s11207-013-0467-5] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "STEREO SECCHI COR1-A/B Intercalibration at 180° Separation." Solar Physics 272 (1): 215-225 [10.1007/s11207-011-9815-5] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Electron Temperatures and Flow Speeds of the Low Solar Corona: MACS Results from the Total Solar Eclipse of 29 March 2006 in Libya." Solar Physics 270 (1): 235-251 [10.1007/s11207-011-9736-3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "Electron-Temperature Maps of the Low Solar Corona: ISCORE Results from the Total Solar Eclipse of 29 March 2006 in Libya." Electron-Temperature Maps of the Low Solar Corona: ISCORE Results from the Total Solar Eclipse of 29 March 2006 in Libya 260 (2): 347-361 [Full Text] [10.1007/s11207-009-9457-z] [Journal Article/Letter]

2004. "The Effects of Streamers on the Shape of the K-Coronal Spectrum." The Effects of Streamers on the Shape of the K-Coronal Spectrum 225 (2): 249-265 [Full Text] [10.1007/s11207-004-3516-2] [Journal Article/Letter]

2003. "Electron Temperature and Speed Measurements in the Low Solar Corona: Results From the 2001 June Eclipse." Electron Temperature and Speed Measurements in the Low Solar Corona: Results From the 2001 June Eclipse 599 (1): 596-603 [Full Text] [10.1086/379148] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "MACS for Global measurement of the Solar wind velocity and the Thermal electron temperature during the Total solar eclipse on 11 August 1999." MACS for Global measurement of the Solar wind velocity and the Thermal electron temperature during the Total solar eclipse on 11 August 1999 195 (1): 111-122 [Full Text] [10.1023/A:1005251808764] [Journal Article/Letter]

Contact Us

Jocelyn Lynch
Project Support Specialist
301-286-6066
jocelyn.m.lynch@nasa.gov
Ellie Jeffries
Project Support Specialist
301-286-6066
ellen.e.jeffries@nasa.gov

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