Researchers led by Zachary Girazian, an associate research scientist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, have learned how discrete aurora on Mars is formed. In a new study, the physicists report that the upstream solar wind properties interacting with the crustal magnetic fields found in Mars’ southern hemisphere strongly affect the formation and properties of the Martian discrete aurora.

Physics and Astronomy alumna Emily Silich was among nine University of Iowa students and recent graduates who were named recipients of the highly competitive Graduate Research Fellowship Program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Research Scientist/Engineer​​​​​​​ George Hospodarsky gave a presentation to 102 fifth graders and five teachers at Norway Intermediate School, Benton Community Schools in Norway, Iowa on May 13.

Joshua Doucette found his academic and career paths through research, joining faculty-led teams in space physics and particle physics during his undergraduate years at Iowa. These rewarding experiences have launched his next phase: the pursuit of a doctorate in physics.

Several students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy were candidates for degrees at the University of Iowa Spring Commencement Ceremonies on May 13 and 14. 

Associate Professor Allison Jaynes has been awarded $543,000 from the University of Colorado, Boulder to build and deliver an energetic particle instrument for a rocket mission, COUSIN: A Study of Small-Scale Auroral Region Energy Deposition.

NASA selected the University of Iowa as one of three recipients of a $250,000 award for a study to help improve space weather forecasting. Over the next four months, a team led by Assistant Professor David Miles at UI will develop and perfect plans for an instrument called a magnetometer. This instrument will better help understand how storms from the sun can affect vulnerable infrastructure on earth like the electrical grid.

Graduate Research Assistant Jared Termini is a recipient of a 2022 NASA Graduate Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) award. 

In March, Jasper Halekas received a grant from NASA for $160,433 for "Lunar Vertex," a study led by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. The goal of the mission is to determine the origin of a unique, swirling feature on the moon's surface.

NASA has selected three investigation teams to join the agency’s Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) mission science team in studying Earth’s upper atmosphere, as well as five additional investigations, including one from the University of Iowa, that will be under consideration for inclusion in the mission. In an announcement on April 26, NASA said the MAGnetometers to Advance GDC (MAG) investigation, led by UI Assistant Professor David Miles, will receive $250,000 to conduct an approximately four-month study. At the end of this period, NASA will select up to two investigations to join the GDC mission.