Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Vladimir Airapetian

(RESEARCH ASSOCIATE)

Vladimir Airapetian's Contact Card & Information.
Email: vladimir.airapetian-1@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.4014
Org Code: 671
Address:
NASA/GSFC
Mail Code 671
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: ADNET Affiliate

Brief Bio


Dr. Vladimir Airapetian is a Senior Astrophysicist at Heliophysics Science Division (HSD) /NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Research Professor at American University, DC. He is a PI of NASA NExSS project “Mission to Young Earth 2.0”, PI of NASA Exobiology project on initiation of life on early Earth and Mars, PI of TESS Cycle 1, Co-I of HST-XMM-Newton project "Evolving Lives of Young Suns", Co-I of ISSI team, the member of Steering Committee at NExSS and PCE3 NASA Astrobiology Research Coordination Networks. Prof. Airapetian is a member of leadership team of Sellers Exoplanet Environment Collaboration (SEEC) team.

He is also leading an interdisciplinary team of heliophysicists, astrophysicists, planetary scientists, chemists and biochemists from NASA Goddard, NASA Langley, Harvard University and Tokyo Tech to understand how extreme space weather events from the active stars affect physics and chemistry of exoplanetary habitability. Vladimir Airapetian obtained his Bachelor in Science with major in Physics from the Yerevan State University and his PhD in theoretical astrophysics from Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory in Armenia. He has over 25 years of experience in theoretical astrophysics, heliophysics and astrobiology. Prof. Airapetian specializes in the MHD modeling of solar and stellar winds, extreme coronal mass ejection events from the current and early Sun and their effects on Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere. His latest activity includes the application of state-of-the-art multidimensional heliophysics models to simulate environments of active stars and the young Sun to understand their impacts to the atmosphere of early Earth and Mars. These studies laid the foundation for the concept of initiation of biological molecules on early Earth and resolution of the Faint Young Sun’s paradox.

Research Interests


3D MHD Models of Global Coronae and Winds from Young Solar type Stars

Heliophysics: Space Weather


3D MHD Models of Superflares and Associated Extreme Coronal Mass Ejections

Heliophysics: Theory & Modeling


Simulating Prebiotic Chemistry of Early Earth with 1D Aeroplanets Code

Solar System: Astrobiology


Simulating Exoplanetary Bio-signatures from Terrestrial Type Exoplanets using 2D GSFC code

Solar System: Astrochemistry


3D MHD Dynamics of Extreme Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) with Magnetospheres of Early and Current Earth and Exoplanets

Heliophysics: Theory & Modeling

Current Projects


PI: NASA Exobiology project "Prebiotic Chemistry of Early Earth and Mars” (FY17-FY20)

Astrobiology


PI: TESS Cycle I “Evolving Magnetic Lives of Young Suns” (FY19-FY20)

Stars


PI: SEEC ISFM: “Measuring Magnetic Field Effects in Hot Giants”

Theory & Modeling


Science PI: SEEC ISFM: “Impact of Extreme Space Weather on Climates of Terrestrial Type Exoplanets”

Extrasolar planets


Co-I SEEC ISFM "Habitability of Magnetic Exo Terrestrial Planets"

Comparative planetology


Co-I SEEC ISFM "Dynamics of Upper Atmospheres of Terrestrial Exoplanets Around Active K to M dwarfs as a Factor of Habitability"

Theory & Modeling


Science PI/FLaRe PSD ISFM

Theory & Modeling

Production of Nitrates on Early Mars via Activity from the Young Sun

Teaching Experience


208-2014  Research Associate Professor at George Mason University

Teaching Introductory Astronomy course, ASTR 111 and ASTR 113 
Online Astronomy Courses at Capella University

Positions/Employment


Research Professor

Department of Physics, American University DC - Washington, DSC

August 2018 - Present

Perform heliospheric and astrobiilogy related research projects


Distinguished Visiting Professor

Kyoto University - Kyoto, Japan

January 2022 - Present

Impact of Stellar Energetic Particles on Atmospheres and Surfaces of Rocky Exoplanets

Astrobiology Course for Kyoto University

Education


1989 PhD in Astrophysics, Byurakan Observatory & Kurchatov Energy Center

1982 B.Sci. and M.Sci. in Astroinomy (summa cum laude), Yerevan State University, Armenia

Professional Societies


Full Member of International Astronomical Union

2012 - Present


Full member of American Geophysical Union

2015 - Present


Full member of American Astronomical Society (AAS)

1995 - Present


Full member of SPD/AAS

2008 - Present


Japanese Geophysical Society (JpGU)

Full member

2019 - Present


Asia Oceania Geophysical Society (AOGS)

Full member

2019 - Present


Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS)

Full member

2010 - Present

Professional Service


Member (or chair) of NASA HSD, ASD, PSD (exoplanetary science and astrobiology) peer review panel.

Reviewer of professional papers in Nature Geoscience, Nature Astronomy, Geosciences, ApJ, ApJ Let, Astrobiology
 

Publications


Refereed

2020. "Sun-as-a-star Spectral Irradiance Observations of Transiting Active Regions." The Astrophysical Journal 902 (1): 36 [10.3847/1538-4357/abadf9] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "The First Habitable-zone Earth-sized Planet from TESS. I. Validation of the TOI-700 System." The Astronomical Journal 160 (3): 116 [10.3847/1538-3881/aba4b2] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "The solar wind from a stellar perspective." Astronomy & Astrophysics 635 A178 [10.1051/0004-6361/201937107] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "The Effect of Cosmic Rays on Cometary Nuclei. I. Dose Deposition." The Astrophysical Journal 890 (1): 89 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab67b9] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Frequency of Coronal Mass Ejection Impacts with Early Terrestrial Planets and Exoplanets around Active Solar-like Stars." The Astrophysical Journal 886 (2): L37 [10.3847/2041-8213/ab551f] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Constraining stellar parameters and atmospheric dynamics of the carbon AGB star V Oph." ApJ 882 (37): 16 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab3419] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Impact of Stellar Superflares on Planetary Habitability." The Astrophysical Journal 881 (2): 114 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab2a71] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Impact of space weather on climate and habitability of terrestrial-type exoplanets." International Journal of Astrobiology 19 (2): 136-194 [10.1017/s1473550419000132] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Modeling a Carrington-scale Stellar Superflare and Coronal Mass Ejection from Kappa Ceti." Astrophysical Journal 880 97 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab287e] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Effect of Star Rotation Rate on the Characteristics of Energetic Particle Events." The Astrophysical Journal 878 (2): L36 [10.3847/2041-8213/ab271d] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Impacts of Space Weather on Climate and Habitability of Terrestrial Type Exoplanets ." Special Issue of International Journal of Astrobiology (Open Acess): 206 [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "Was the Sun a Slow Rotator? Sodium and Potassium Constraints from the Lunar Regolith." The Astrophysical Journal 876 (1): L16 [10.3847/2041-8213/ab18fb] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "HST/GHRS Observations of Cool, Low-gravity Stars. VI. Mass-loss Rates and Wind Parameters for M Giants." The Astrophysical Journal 869 (1): 1 [10.3847/1538-4357/aaf0a0] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Terrestrial planets under the young Sun." Nature Astronomy 2 (6): 448-449 [10.1038/s41550-018-0490-4] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Exoplanet Science Priorities from the Perspective of Internal and Surface Processes for Silicate and Ice Dominated Worlds." National Academy of Sciences 2018 Exoplanet Science Strategy White Paper [Other]

2017. "Atmospheric escape from the TRAPPIST-1 planets and implications for habitability." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115 (2): 260-265 [10.1073/pnas.1708010115] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Atmospheric Beacons of Life from Exoplanets Around G and K Stars." Scientific Reports 7 (1): 14141 [10.1038/s41598-017-14192-4] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "X-Ray Superflares on CC Eri." The Astrophysical Journal 840 (2): 102 [10.3847/1538-4357/aa6cb0] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "How Hospitable Are Space Weather Affected Habitable Zones? The Role of Ion Escape." The Astrophysical Journal 836 (1): L3 [10.3847/2041-8213/836/1/l3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2016. "Prebiotic chemistry and atmospheric warming of early Earth by an active young Sun." Nature Geoscience 9 (6): 452-455 [10.1038/ngeo2719] [Journal Article/Letter]

2014. "3D Coronal Density Reconstruction and Retrieving the Magnetic Field Structure during Solar Minimum." SOLAR PHYSICS 289 2927-2944 [10.1007/s11207-014-0525-7] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Lyman Alpha Spicule Observatory (LASO)." Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 1506- [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Probing the Thermodynamics and Kinematics of Solar Coronal Streamers." The Astrophysical Journal 728 67 [Full Text] [10.1088/0004-637X/728/1/67] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Stellar Imager (SI): developing and testing a predictive dynamo model for the Sun by imaging other stars." eprint arXiv:10115214 1011 5214 [Full Text] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Winds from Luminous Late-type Stars II Broadband Frequency Distribution of Alfvén Waves." The Astrophysical Journal 723 1210 [Full Text] [10.1088/0004-637X/723/2/1210] [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "Models of Impulsively Heated Solar Active Regions." AAS/Solar Physics Division Meeting #40 40 #12.02- [Journal Article/Letter]

2009. "Dynamics of Coronal Streamers: 2.5D MHD simulations with semi-empirical heating and momentum terms." AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 1657- [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "Winds from Luminous Late-Type Stars I The Effects of Nonlinear Alfvén Waves." The Astrophysical Journal 528 965 [Full Text] [10.1086/308198] [Journal Article/Letter]

Non-Refereed

2019. "The Sun was likely a Slow Rotator: Lunar Geochemical Constraints." LPI (50.3050s): [Proceedings]

2019. "The Sun was likely a Slow Rotator: Lunar Geochemical Constraints." Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 50 [Proceedings]