Popular science lectures

SOLAR & STELLAR CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

May 05-10, 2024 Krakow, Poland

IAU Symposium 388

During the 388th IAU SYMPOSIUM, two popular science lectures will be held for astronomy enthusiasts. These events are hosted by the Astronomical Observatory of the Jagiellonian University. The guest speakers will be the most outstanding experts in solar physics and space weather. The lectures will be conducted in English and will take place at the Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University (ul. Krupnicza 33, 31-123 Kraków). Each attendee is asked to register by submitting the requested personal information to the e-mail address provided below (name, surname, e-mail address and title of the lecture). Further information about lectures and speakers is available below. We would like to invite everyone who is genuinely interested in astronomy and space science!     

 It is necessary to register by email at popular-lectures@oa.uj.edu.pl

7 May 2024 - 18:00 (40 minutes), Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University

What is Space Weather and how do we forecast it? - Tanja Amerstorfer (Austrian Space Weather                                                                                                                                                                                                               Office, GeoSphere Austria, Graz, Austria)

Abstract

Space weather plays a profound role in shaping the environment of our solar system. This lecture aims to unravel the mysteries surrounding space weather, exploring its definition, impacts, and the sophisticated methods employed to forecast it. Space weather encompasses a variety of phenomena, including solar flares, coronal mass ejections, solar energetic particles, and cosmic radiation, all of which can have significant implications for technology, infrastructure, and even human health. Understanding and predicting these phenomena is crucial for safeguarding our satellites, power grids, and communication systems from the disruptive effects of space weather events. This lecture will delve into the fundamental processes driving space weather, drawing connections between solar activity and its effects on Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. We will explore the tools and techniques used by scientists and forecasters to monitor the sun and space environment, from ground-based observatories to space-based satellites. Furthermore, the lecture will highlight the challenges inherent in space weather forecasting, including the need for continuous monitoring and refinement of predictive models. By the end of this lecture, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic nature of space weather and the critical role of forecasting in mitigating its impacts on our increasingly interconnected world.

CV

Tanja Amerstorfer is part of the Austrian Space Weather Office of the GeoSphere Austria, being the Federal Institute for Geology, Geophysics, Climatology and Meteorology. She has longtime experience in modeling the evolution of coronal mass ejections and predicting their arrival at Earth, other planets and various satellites in the inner solar system. Her special focus lies on working with data from the heliospheric imagers from the Solar TErestrial RElations Observatory, which serve as prototypes for the ESA Vigil mission, to be launched around 2030. Her recent interests are the improvement of real-time predictions of Earth-directed solar storms with the support of machine learning and computer vision tools, and the development and deployment of the space weather forecasting pipelines at the Austrian Space Weather Office.

9 May 2024 - 18:00 (40 minutes), Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University

The Intimate Life of Giant Stellar Eruptions and Signatures of Habitable Worlds -                                                                                                                                       Vladimir Airapetian (NASA GSFC and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         American University, USA)                                                                                       

Abstract

Our nearby star, the Sun, is the sole source of energy for all life on Earth and a source of inspiration for poets and worshippers. In the recent past, our Sun has surprised us with giant magnetic storms which, if occurred today, would cause a devastating impact on various infrastructures on Earth. In this lecture, I will take you on a journey to introduce giant solar and stellar explosive phenomena in order to understand a greater diversity of physical processes operating on the Sun and Sun-like stars of different ages. We will start with the Sun as a unique laboratory to explore the inner workings of hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Is the Sun a unique star or an “average Joe”? How do solar and stellar explosions affect climates and habitable environments of early Earth and terrestrial exoplanets? The answers to these questions can open an avenue to address a grand question of modern science: Is our planet an average rocky planet or a remarkable rocky body teaming with life, and an outlier in the Universe? What physico-chemical processes are required to make a planet habitable? I will discuss these fundamental questions from a holistic viewpoint by connecting the dots between astronomical observations of solar and stellar eruptions, theoretical and laboratory studies of their impacts on planetary evolution. These studies will pave a way for searching for signatures of habitable worlds with the James Webb Space Telescope and the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory.

CV

Vladimir Airapetian is a Senior Astrophysicist at Heliophysics Science Division (HSD) /NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Research Professor in Residence at American University, Washington, DC and Distinguished Professor at Kyoto University. He is a Principal Investigator of NASA NExSS project “Mission to Young Earth 2.0”, NASA Exobiology project on initiation of life on early Earth and Mars, NASA’s TESS, NICER, HST, XMM-Newton and Swift project "Evolving Lives of Young Suns", member of International Space Science Institute, NExSS and Prebiotic Chemistry and Early earth Environments (PCE3) NASA Astrobiology Research Coordination Networks. Prof. Airapetian is also a member of leadership team of Sellers Exoplanet Environment Collaboration (SEEC) team. He is leading an interdisciplinary team of heliophysicists, astrophysicists, planetary scientists, chemists and biochemists from NASA Goddard, University of California at Berkeley, University of Colorado at Boulder, Lockheed Martin Space Laboratory, NASA Langley, Kyoto University, JAXA and Tokyo Tech to understand how extreme space weather events from the active stars form and 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 analogs to understand their impacts to the atmosphere of early Earth and Mars and rocky exoplanets. These studies laid the foundation for the concept of initiation of biological molecules on early Earth and possibly young exoplanets and resolution of the Faint Young Sun’s paradox. These concepts are currently under study in his Exoplanetary Particle Irradiation Chemistry (EPIC) Lab at NASA GSFC.

It is necessary to register by email at popular-lectures@oa.uj.edu.pl