C. Nick Arge is the head of the Solar Physics Laboratory (SPL) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. SPL is one of the largest solar physics laboratories in the world. It is comprised of more than 80 solar scientists, postdocs, students, and support staff. Prior to that, he worked at the University of Colorado & NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) from 1996-2003 and then the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Space Vehicles Directorate from 2004-2016. Dr. Arge received his B.S. in Physics at the University of Arizona in 1985, an M.S. degree in Physics at the University of Minnesota in 1988, and a Ph.D. in Physics in 1997 at the University of Delaware. His research interests include the physics of the corona and solar wind, especially modeling them for both basic and applied (e.g., space weather forecasting) purposes. Dr. Arge is the lead developer of the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) coronal and solar wind model, which along with the Enlil solar wind model, was transitioned into operations at the National Weather Service (NWS) in 2011. The coupled WSA+Enlil model is the first space weather model to be transitioned to operations at the NWS. Dr. Arge is a member of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the Solar Physics Division of AAS, and American Geophysical Union (AGU).
Charles Nickolos Arge
(Chief)
| Email: | charles.n.arge@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.286.5461 |
| Org Code: | 671 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 671 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: |
Brief Bio
Research Interests
Coronal Physics: Structure & Evolution
Heliophysics: Solar AtmosphereUnderstanding and predicting the structure and evolution of the coronal magnetic field; Coronal holes; Exploration of the "missing" open solar magnetic flux problem.
Solar Surface Magnetic Fields: Distribution and Evolution
Heliophysics: Solar SurfaceModeling of the corona and solar wind is very challenging, as it is highly dependent on global photospheric magnetic field maps, which serve as the boundary conditions to all coronal models that drive solar wind models. Currently, less than half of the Sun’s photospheric magnetic field is reliably measured from any given vantage point and thus it is common for the maps to have highly dated and unreliable measurements in them. Efforts to mitigate this problem include using flux transport models to evolve the surface magnetic field forward in time using well known transport processes occurring on the Sun.
Development of Space Weather Forecast Models
Heliophysics: Space WeatherLead developer of the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) coronal and solar wind model, which along with the Enlil (Dr. Dusan Odstrcil lead developer) solar wind model, was transitioned into operations at the National Weather Service (NWS) in 2011. WSA is widely used for both basic and applied purposes.
Sources, Acceleration, and Evolution of the Solar Wind
Heliophysics: Inner HeliosphereUnderstanding the sources, acceleration, and evolution of the solar wind for both basic research and space weather forecasting purposes.
Positions/Employment
Chief, Solar Physics Laboratory
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD
October 2016 - Present
Solar Section Chief, Acting
AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate/Solar Disturbance Forecasting Section - Kirtland, AFB Albuquerque, NM
June 2015 - September 2016
Senior Research Physicist
AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate/Solar Disturbance Forecasting Section - Kirtland, AFB Albuquerque, NM
January 2008 - September 2016
Research Physicist
AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate/Solar Disturbance Forecasting Section - Hanscom AFB, MA/Kirtland AFB, NM
December 2003 - December 2007
Research Associate
University of Colorado, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) & NOAA/Space Environment Center - Boulder, CO
October 1996 - December 2003
Graduate Fellow
Bartol Research Institute/University of Delaware - Newark, DE
September 1992 - August 1996
Physics Teaching Assistant & Instructor
University of Delaware - Newark, DE
September 1990 - August 1992
Physics Instructor
Dunwoody Technical Institute - Minneapolis, MN
January 1990 - May 1990
Physics & Astronomy Instructor
Augsburg College - Minneapolis, MN
September 1987 - August 1990
Adjunct Physics Instructor
St. Cloud State University - St. Cloud, MN
September 1988 - February 1990
Physics Teaching Assistant
University of Minnesota - Minneapolis, MN
September 1985 - August 1987
Teaching Experience
Adjunct Faculty, (New Mexico State University, Astronomy Department), Las Cruces, NM, 03/2012-09/2017 & 09/2019-Present.
Adjunct Professor, (University of New Mexico, Physics Department), Albuquerque, NM 05/2008-Present.
Physics Instructor & Physics Teaching Assistant, (University of Delaware), Newark, DE, 09/1990-09/1992.
Physics & Astronomy Instructor, (Augsburg College), Minneapolis, MN, 09/1987-08/1990.
Adjunct Physics Instructor, (Saint Cloud State University), Saint Cloud, MN, 09/1988-02/1989.
Physics Instructor, (Dunwoody Institute), Minneapolis, MN, 01/1990-05/1990.
Teaching Assistant, (University of Minnesota), Minneapolis, MN, 09/1985-08/1987.
Education
Ph.D. in Physics, 1997, University of Delaware/Bartol Research Institute, Newark DE
Title of Dissertation: "Effects of Astrophysical Magnetic Fields in Partially Ionized Gases"
M.S. in Physics, 1988, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN
Title of Thesis: "An Infrared and Radio Study of the Cancer Cluster of Galaxies"
B.S. in Physics (with Distinction), 1985, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ
Minor: Mathematics
Professional Societies
American Astronomical Society (AAS) & Solar Physics Division of AAS
2013 - Present
American Geophysical Union
1997 - Present
Professional Service
- NASA Space Weather Science Application (SWxSA) Advisory Team (2020-present)
- COSPAR International Space Weather Action Teams (ISWAT) Team Lead (2020-present)
- NASA LWS Program Analysis Group (LPAG) liaison member (2018-present)
- Solar Physics Division (SPD) committee member (2020-2022)
- National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) & Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship Evaluation Panels (2016)
- Advised White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) on solar instrumentation for the 2nd national Earth Observations Assessment (EOA) (2015)
- ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter-Parker Solar Probe Modeling and Data Analysis Working Group Team Member (2014-2020)
- Science Working Group of the National Space Weather Program (2014)
- US Basu Award selection committee (2014-2018)
- P.I. to Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Basic Research Initiative (BRI) effort to determine the internal magnetic fields inside ICMEs (2013-2016)
- Synoptic Network Workshop Organizing Committee (2013)
- NSF Committee of Visitors (COV) (2011)
- Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) Users Group (2009 to 2020)
- Solar Heliospheric INterplanetary Environment (SHINE) Steering Committee Member (2004-2008, 2015-2017), Campaign Working Group Leader (2003-2010), Campaign Events Leader (2005-2009), & Working Group Leader (2002-2004, 2013-2015)
- Executive Committee Member: Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) Magnetogram Users Group (2003-2020)
- NASA proposal review panel in Washington D.C. (2000, 2005, & 2008)
- Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) Steering Committee (2004-2007) & Scientific Working Group (2002-2005)
- Steering Committee for the NASA Living with a Star (LWS) Targeted Research & Technology (TR&T) 2006 program (2004-2005)
- Taught lectures and labs at the Boston University CISM Space Weather Summer School (2001-2006)
- Air Force Research Laboratory Climate Survey Team (Fall 2004)
Awards
- International Space Weather and Space Climate Kristian Birkeland Medal (2023)
- Robert H. Goddard - Exceptional Achievement for Science Team Award (2023)
- NASA Agency Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (2022)
- NASA Heliophysics Science Division Special Act Award for Leadership (2017)
- Federal Exec. Board Public Service Award: Professional, Administrative, Technical (2015)
- AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate Annual Team Publication Award (2015)
- AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate 2nd Quarter Publication Team Award (2015)
- Air Force Laboratory Star Team Award for Excellence in Basic Research (2015-2017)
- AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate 3rd Quarter Senior Leadership Award (2014)
- AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate Outstanding Mentor Award (2014)
- Air Force Laboratory Star Team Award for Excellence in Basic Research (2012-2014)
- AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate 3rd Quarter Senior Leadership Award (2010)
- AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate 1st Quarter Technology Achievement Award (2008)
- AFRL/Space Vehicles Directorate 1st Quarter Technology Achievement Award (2006)
- NOAA Research's Outstanding Scientific Paper Award (2004)
- Frank M. Life Memorial Scholarship for Physics, University of Arizona (1984)
- Scholarly Achievement Award, University of Arizona (1982, 1984, & 1985)
- Honorable Mention Award, University of Arizona (1983 & 1985)
- Van Natten Scholarship Fund, Denver Astronomical Society (1981 & 1982)
Publications
Refereed
2022. "Solar Cycle Variability in Coronal Holes and Their Effects on Solar Wind Sources." Space Weather 20 (10): [10.1029/2022sw003110] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "New Insights into the First Two PSP Solar Encounters Enabled by Modeling Analysis with ADAPT-WSA." The Astrophysical Journal 935 (1): 24 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac731c] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "The Solar Orbiter Science Activity Plan." Astronomy & Astrophysics 642 A3 [10.1051/0004-6361/202038445] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "On the Relationship between Magnetic Expansion Factor and Observed Speed of the Solar Wind from Coronal Pseudostreamers." The Astrophysical Journal 898 (1): 78 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab98a0] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "The Streamer Blowout Origin of a Flux Rope and Energetic Particle Event Observed by Parker Solar Probe at 0.5 au." The Astrophysical Journal 897 (2): 134 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab9942] [Journal Article/Letter]
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] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Solar Wind Streams and Stream Interaction Regions Observed by the Parker Solar Probe with Corresponding Observations at 1 au." The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 246 (2): 36 [10.3847/1538-4365/ab578f] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "The Heliospheric Current Sheet in the Inner Heliosphere Observed by the Parker Solar Probe." The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 246 47 [10.3847/1538-4365/ab5dac] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Small, Low-energy, Dispersive Solar Energetic Particle Events Observed by Parker Solar Probe." The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 246 65 [10.3847/1538-4365/ab643d] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "Estimating Total Open Heliospheric Magnetic Flux." Solar Physics 294 (2): [10.1007/s11207-019-1402-1] [Journal Article/Letter]