Brief Bio

Graham graduated from the University of Glasgow with an MSci (Hons.) degree. He then obtained his PhD, also from the University of Glasgow, in 2017, supervised by Prof Lyndsay Fletcher. Upon completion of his PhD, Graham became a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellow at Goddard Space Flight Center in 2017, working with Dr. Joel Allred on the modelling of solar flares. His research focuses on understanding the energy, radiation, and mass transport during of solar flares, with a particular focus on the solar chromosphere. This is achieved via state-of-the-art radiation hydrodynamical modelling of the solar atmosphere and the analysis of data from NASA observatories. After the conclusion of the NPP Fellowship, Graham was appointed a Research Scientist at the Catholic University of America, and in this role he continues to be based at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as part of the PHaSER project and individual grants.

Publications

Refereed

McLaughlin, S. A., R. O. Milligan, G. S. Kerr, et al. A. J. Monson, P. J. Simões, and M. Mathioudakis. 2023. "Formation of the Lyman Continuum during Solar Flares." The Astrophysical Journal 944 (2): 186 [10.3847/1538-4357/acaf66]

Polito, V., G. S. Kerr, Y. Xu, V. M. Sadykov, and J. Lorincik. 2023. "Solar Flare Ribbon Fronts. I. Constraining Flare Energy Deposition with IRIS Spectroscopy." The Astrophysical Journal 944 (1): 104 [10.3847/1538-4357/acaf7c]

Kerr, G. S. 2023. "Interrogating solar flare loop models with IRIS observations 2: Plasma properties, energy transport, and future directions." Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences 9 [10.3389/fspas.2022.1060862]

Kerr, G. S. 2022. "Interrogating solar flare loop models with IRIS observations 1: Overview of the models, and mass flows." Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences 9 [10.3389/fspas.2022.1060856]

Yadav, R., J. de la Cruz Rodríguez, G. S. Kerr, C. J. Díaz Baso, and J. Leenaarts. 2022. "Radiative losses in the chromosphere during a C-class flare." Astronomy & Astrophysics 665 A50 [10.1051/0004-6361/202243440]

Allred, J. C., G. S. Kerr, and A. Gordon Emslie. 2022. "Solar Flare Heating with Turbulent Suppression of Thermal Conduction." The Astrophysical Journal 931 (1): 60 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac69e8]

Kowalski, A. F., J. C. Allred, M. Carlsson, et al. G. S. Kerr, P.-E. Tremblay, K. Namekata, D. Kuridze, and H. Uitenbroek. 2022. "The Atmospheric Response to High Nonthermal Electron-beam Fluxes in Solar Flares. II. Hydrogen-broadening Predictions for Solar Flare Observations with the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope." The Astrophysical Journal 928 (2): 190 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac5174]

Cheung, M. C., J. Martínez-Sykora, P. Testa, et al. B. De Pontieu, G. Chintzoglou, M. Rempel, V. Polito, G. S. Kerr, K. K. Reeves, L. Fletcher, M. Jin, D. Nóbrega-Siverio, S. Danilovic, P. Antolin, J. Allred, V. Hansteen, I. Ugarte-Urra, E. DeLuca, D. Longcope, S. Takasao, M. L. DeRosa, P. Boerner, S. Jaeggli, N. V. Nitta, A. Daw, M. Carlsson, and L. Golub. 2022. "Probing the Physics of the Solar Atmosphere with the Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE). II. Flares and Eruptions." The Astrophysical Journal 926 (1): 53 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac4223]

Xu, Y., X. Yang, G. S. Kerr, et al. V. Polito, V. M. Sadykov, J. Jing, W. Cao, and H. Wang. 2022. "Multi-passband Observations of a Solar Flare over the He i 10830 Å line." The Astrophysical Journal Letters 924 (1): L18 [10.3847/2041-8213/ac447c]

Kerr, G. S., Y. Xu, J. C. Allred, et al. V. Polito, V. M. Sadykov, N. Huang, and H. Wang. 2021. "He i 10830 Å Dimming during Solar Flares. I. The Crucial Role of Nonthermal Collisional Ionizations." The Astrophysical Journal 912 (2): 153 [10.3847/1538-4357/abf42d]

Allred, J. C., M. Alaoui Abdallaoui, A. F. Kowalski, and G. S. Kerr. 2020. "Modeling the Transport of Nonthermal Particles in Flares Using Fokker-Planck Kinetic Theory." The Astrophysical Journal 902 (1): 16 [10.3847/1538-4357/abb239]

Kerr, G. S., J. C. Allred, and V. Polito. 2020. "Solar Flare Arcade Modeling: Bridging the Gap from 1D to 3D Simulations of Optically Thin Radiation." The Astrophysical Journal 900 (1): 18 [10.3847/1538-4357/abaa46]

Sadykov, V. M., A. G. Kosovichev, I. N. Kitiashvili, and G. S. Kerr. 2020. "Response of SDO/HMI Observables to Heating of the Solar Atmosphere by Precipitating High-energy Electrons." The Astrophysical Journal 893 (1): 24 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab7b6a]

Kerr, G. S., M. Carlsson, and J. C. Allred. 2019. "Modeling Mg ii during Solar Flares. II. Nonequilibrium Effects." The Astrophysical Journal 885 (2): 119 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab48ea]

Kerr, G. S., J. C. Allred, and M. Carlsson. 2019. "Modeling Mg II During Solar Flares. I. Partial Frequency Redistribution, Opacity, and Coronal Irradiation." The Astrophysical Journal 883 (1): 57 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab3c24]

Kowalski, A. F., E. Butler, A. N. Daw, et al. L. Fletcher, J. C. Allred, B. D. Pontieu, G. S. Kerr, G. Cauzzi, A. F. Kowalski, and E. Bulter. 2019. "Spectral Evidence for Heating at Large Column Mass in Umbral Solar Flare Kernels. I. IRIS Near-UV Spectra of the X1 Solar Flare of 2014 October 25." The Astrophysical Journal 878 (2): 135 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab1f8b]

Kerr, G. S., M. Carlsson, J. C. Allred, P. R. Young, and A. N. Daw. 2019. "SI iv Resonance Line Emission during Solar Flares: Non-LTE, Nonequilibrium, Radiation Transfer Simulations." The Astrophysical Journal 871 (1): 23 [10.3847/1538-4357/aaf46e]

Sadykov, V. M., A. G. Kosovichev, I. N. Sharykin, and G. S. Kerr. 2019. "Statistical Study of Chromospheric Evaporation in Impulsive Phase of Solar Flares." The Astrophysical Journal 871 (1): 2 [10.3847/1538-4357/aaf6b0]

Brown, S. A., L. Fletcher, G. S. Kerr, et al. N. Labrosse, A. F. Kowalski, and J. D. Rodríguez. 2018. "Modeling of the Hydrogen Lyman Lines in Solar Flares." The Astrophysical Journal 862 (1): 59 [10.3847/1538-4357/aacc29]

Simões, P. J., G. S. Kerr, L. Fletcher, et al. H. S. Hudson, C. G. Giménez de Castro, and M. Penn. 2017. "Formation of the thermal infrared continuum in solar flares." Astronomy & Astrophysics 605 A125 [10.1051/0004-6361/201730856]

Kerr, G. S., L. Fletcher, A. J. Russell, and J. C. Allred. 2016. "Simulations of the Mg II k and Ca II 8542 lines from an Alfven Wave-heated Flare Chromosphere." The Astrophysical Journal 827 (2): 101

Kerr, G. S., P. J. Simões, J. Qiu, and L. Fletcher. 2015. "IRIS observations of the Mg ii h and k lines during a solar flare." Astronomy & Astrophysics 582 A50 [10.1051/0004-6361/201526128]

Milligan, R. O., G. S. Kerr, B. R. Dennis, et al. H. S. Hudson, L. Fletcher, J. C. Allred, P. C. Chamberlin, J. Ireland, M. Mathioudakis, and F. P. Keenan. 2014. "THE RADIATED ENERGY BUDGET OF CHROMOSPHERIC PLASMA IN A MAJOR SOLAR FLARE DEDUCED FROM MULTI-WAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS." ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 793 [10.1088/0004-637X/793/2/70]

Kerr, G. S., and L. Fletcher. 2014. "PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF WHITE-LIGHT SOURCES IN THE 2011 FEBRUARY 15 SOLAR FLARE." The Astrophysical Journal 783 (2): 98 [10.1088/0004-637x/783/2/98]

Cheng, J. X., G. Kerr, and J. Qiu. 2011. "HARD X-RAY AND ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS OF THE 2005 JANUARY 15 TWO-RIBBON FLARE." The Astrophysical Journal 744 (1): 48 [10.1088/0004-637x/744/1/48]