Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Aleida K Higginson (she/her)

(SUPV RSCH AST, SOLAR&SOLAR TRSTRL STD)

 aleida.k.higginson@nasa.gov

 301.286.7209

Org Code: 671

NASA/GSFC
Mail Code: 671
Greenbelt, MD 20771

Employer: NASA

Current Projects


Adaptively Refined MHD Solver (ARMS) Model Developer

Theory & Modeling


IMAP Deputy Mission Scientist

Outer Heliosphere


Parker Solar Probe WISPR Co-Investigator

Inner Heliosphere


Center for HelioAnalytics Helioweb PI

Positions/Employment


Research Astrophysicist

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD

September 2020 - Present


Post Doctoral Fellow

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory - Laurel, MD

September 2018 - September 2020


Assistant Research Scientist

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI

February 2018 - September 2018


Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI

2016 - February 2018


Graduate Student Research Assistant

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI

September 2011 - 2016

Education


University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL

  • B.Sc., 2011, Astronomy/Astrophysics, Minor: Computer Sciences

Professional Societies


American Astronomical Society

2012 - Present


American Geophysical Union

2012 - Present

Awards


  • NASA GSFC Heliophysics Science Division Peer Award, 2021
  • Fred L. Scarf Award, Space Physics and Aeronomy, American Geophysical Union, 2018
  • Nominee, ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan, 2016
  • Brueckner Solar Physics Division Studentship Award, American Astronomical Society, 2015
  • First Place, Space and Planetary Sciences, University of Michigan Engineering Graduate Symposium, 2015
  • Best Research Presentation, SHINE Student Day, 2015
  • Rackham Travel Grant, University of Michigan, 2014
  • Rackham Travel Grant, University of Michigan, 2013
  • Second Place, Space and Planetary Sciences, University of Michigan Engineering Graduate Symposium, 2013
  • Dean's Fellowship, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, 2011

Special Experience


  • NASA Flight Projects Development Program Leadership Workshop


Publications


Refereed

Rivera, Y. J., E. Landi, J. C. Raymond, et al. N. A. Murphy, J. W. Reep, W. Barnes, A. Higginson, P. Young, A. Daw, W. D. Pesnell, A. R. Paraschiv, D. A. Lacatus, P. Bryans, T. Y. Chen, and G. Del Zanna. 2023. Advancing solar and heliospheric science through the ongoing development and support of atomic and laboratory plasma physics Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences 10 1056255 [10.3389/fspas.2023.1056255]

Wyper, P. F., C. R. DeVore, S. K. Antiochos, et al. D. I. Pontin, A. K. Higginson, R. Scott, S. Masson, and T. Pelegrin-Frachon. 2022. The Imprint of Intermittent Interchange Reconnection on the Solar Wind Astrophysical Journal Letters 941 L29 [10.3847/2041-8213/aca8ae]

Rouillard, A. P., N. Viall, V. Pierrard, et al. C. Vocks, L. Matteini, O. Alexandrova, A. K. Higginson, B. Lavraud, M. Lavarra, Y. Wu, R. Pinto, A. Bemporad, and E. Sanchez-Diaz. 2021. The Solar Wind Geophysical Monograph Series 1-33 [10.1002/9781119815600.ch1]

Westlake, J. H., D. G. Mitchell, M. Gkioulidou, et al. K. Dialynas, I. J. Cohen, S. Krimigis, R. B. Decker, D. L. Turner, A. K. Higginson, G. Clark, and C. P. Paranicas. 2020. Heliospheric Maps from Cassini INCA Early in the Cruise to Saturn The Astrophysical Journal Letters 902 (2): L45 [10.3847/2041-8213/abbd9e]

Korreck, K. E., A. Szabo, T. N. Chinchilla, et al. B. Lavraud, J. Luhmann, T. Niembro, A. Higginson, N. Alzate, S. Wallace, K. Paulson, A. Rouillard, A. Kouloumvakos, N. Poirier, J. C. Kasper, A. W. Case, M. L. Stevens, S. D. Bale, M. Pulupa, P. Whittlesey, R. Livi, K. Goetz, D. Larson, D. M. Malaspina, H. Morgan, A. A. Narock, N. A. Schwadron, J. Bonnell, P. Harvey, and J. Wygant. 2020. Source and Propagation of a Streamer Blowout Coronal Mass Ejection Observed by the Parker Solar Probe The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 246 (2): 69 [10.3847/1538-4365/ab6ff9]

Rouillard, A. P., A. Kouloumvakos, A. Vourlidas, et al. J. Kasper, S. Bale, N.-E. Raouafi, B. Lavraud, R. A. Howard, G. Stenborg, M. Stevens, N. Poirier, J. A. Davies, P. Hess, A. K. Higginson, M. Lavarra, N. M. Viall, K. Korreck, R. F. Pinto, L. Griton, V. Réville, P. Louarn, Y. Wu, K. Dalmasse, V. Génot, A. W. Case, P. Whittlesey, D. Larson, J. S. Halekas, R. Livi, K. Goetz, P. R. Harvey, R. J. MacDowall, D. Malaspina, M. Pulupa, J. Bonnell, T. D. de Witt, and E. Penou. 2020. Relating Streamer Flows to Density and Magnetic Structures at the Parker Solar Probe The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 246 (2): 37 [10.3847/1538-4365/ab579a]

Nieves-Chinchilla, T., A. Szabo, K. E. Korreck, et al. N. Alzate, L. A. Balmaceda, B. Lavraud, K. Paulson, A. A. Narock, S. Wallace, L. K. Jian, J. G. Luhmann, H. Morgan, A. Higginson, C. N. Arge, S. D. Bale, A. W. Case, T. D. Wit, J. Giacalone, K. Goetz, P. R. Harvey, S. I. Jones-Melosky, J. C. Kasper, D. E. Larson, R. Livi, D. J. McComas, R. J. MacDowall, D. M. Malaspina, M. Pulupa, N. E. Raouafi, N. Schwadron, M. L. Stevens, and P. L. Whittlesey. 2020. Analysis of the Internal Structure of the Streamer Blowout Observed by the Parker Solar Probe During the First Solar Encounter The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 246 (2): 63 [10.3847/1538-4365/ab61f5]

Howard, R. A., A. Vourlidas, V. Bothmer, et al. R. C. Colaninno, C. E. DeForest, B. Gallagher, J. R. Hall, P. Hess, A. K. Higginson, C. M. Korendyke, A. Kouloumvakos, P. L. Lamy, P. C. Liewer, J. Linker, M. Linton, P. Penteado, S. P. Plunkett, N. Poirier, N. E. Raouafi, N. Rich, P. Rochus, A. P. Rouillard, D. G. Socker, G. Stenborg, A. F. Thernisien, and N. M. Viall. 2019. Near-Sun observations of an F-corona decrease and K-corona fine structure Nature 576 (7786): 232-236 [10.1038/s41586-019-1807-x]

Scott, R. B., D. I. Pontin, A. R. Yeates, P. F. Wyper, and A. K. Higginson. 2018. Magnetic Structures at the Boundary of the Closed Corona: Interpretation of S-Web Arcs The Astrophysical Journal 869 (1): 60 [10.3847/1538-4357/aaed2b]

Higginson, A. K., and B. J. Lynch. 2018. Structured Slow Solar Wind Variability: Streamer-blob Flux Ropes and Torsional Alfvén Waves The Astrophysical Journal 859 (1): 6 [10.3847/1538-4357/aabc08]

Higginson, A. K., S. K. Antiochos, C. R. DeVore, P. F. Wyper, and T. H. Zurbuchen. 2017. Formation of Heliospheric Arcs of Slow Solar Wind Astrophysical Journal 840 L10 [10.3847/2041-8213/aa6d72]

Higginson, A. K., S. K. Antiochos, C. R. DeVore, P. F. Wyper, and T. H. Zurbuchen. 2017. Dynamics of Coronal Hole Boundaries Astrophysical Journal 837 113 [10.3847/1538-4357/837/2/113]

Non-Refereed

Higginson, A. 2016. Solar Wind Disconnects Venus's Magnetotail Eos 97 [10.1029/2016eo054773]

Higginson, A. 2016. Can Solar and Space Physics Students Find Research Careers? Eos 97 [10.1029/2016eo053227]

Higginson, A. 2016. Electrons Thrown Off Course in Near-Earth Magnetic Reconnection Eos 97 [10.1029/2016eo051175]

Higginson, A. 2016. Half of Atmospheric Joule Heating Is Due to Small Oscillations Eos 97 [10.1029/2016eo047017]

Higginson, A. 2016. Sun's Magnetic Fields Best at Forecasting Solar Cycle Peaks Eos 97 [10.1029/2016eo046603]