NASA Postdoctoral Fellow
Solar Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD
December 2020 - Present
"Characterizing the In Situ Observed Solar Wind by its Solar Source Locations" - Using ADAPT-WSA to identify periods when the observed solar wind at L1 originates from helmet streamers and pseudostreamers. We investigate whether the magnetic properties of the streamer (i.e. unipolar or dipolar) determine how the solar wind is heated, released, and accelerated, or whether the local magnetic properties at the open-closed boundary and/or underlying the streamer cusp (i.e active region vs. quiet Sun) drive the solar wind formation process.
Student Research Collaborator
Solar Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD
February 2018 - November 2020
- Used ADAPT-WSA to characterize the solar wind that emerges from specific source regions, and test solar wind formation theories (i.e. waves/expansion factor, reconnection/S-web)
- Developed the capability for WSA to derive source regions of the solar wind observed at spacecraft with varying radial distances from the Sun (e.g. Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, Helios).
- Supported Parker Solar Probe mission by deriving the solar wind source regions for various encounters.
- Supported ISFM team projects by identifying the source regions of in situ observed solar wind events (e.g. periodic density structures,SEPs).
- Developed the capability for WSA to derive the solar wind source regions for Helios observations.
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico - Albuquerque, NM
September 2015 - 2017
"On the Relationship between Magnetic Expansion Factor and Observed Speed of the Solar Wind from Coronal Pseudostreamers" - tested empirical proxies for solar wind formation (heating, release, acceleration) pertaining specifically to pseudostreamers (e.g. expansion factor, field line distance from coronal hole boundary). Developed a methodology using ADAPT-WSA to identify periods when the observed solar wind originates from the magnetic open-closed boundary of coronal pseudostreamers; compared observed solar wind speed with magnetic expansion factor along source region field lines for pseudostreamer solar wind.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach, FL
September 2013 - June 2015
Responsible for teaching and facilitating Physics I lab; created lectures, homework, and quizzes; held for office hours for discussion with students.
Research Intern
Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Lab - Albuquerque, NM
2012 - 2016
Summer research intern in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
"Estimating Total Open Heliospheric Magnetic Flux" - Developed a methodology for manually identifying coronal holes on synoptic EUV maps with a computer software; derived total open flux with EUV coronal holes and ADAPT photospheric field maps.
Research Intern
Solar Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD
June 2017 - September 2017
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Intern
National Solar Observatory - Tucson, AZ
July 2011 - September 2011