Dr. A. Gordon Emslie
Associate Vice President for Research, Dean of the Graduate College, and Professor (High-Energy Solar Physics)
- B.Sc., Physics & Astronomy, 1976, University of Glasgow
- Ph.D., Astrophysics, 1979, University of Glasgow
- D.Sc., Science, 1997, University of Glasgow
- M.S.E., Mechanical Engineering, 1991, The University of Alabama in Huntsville
- M.S., Atmospheric Science, 1995, The University of Alabama in Huntsville
- M.S., Materials Science, 1998, The University of Alabama in Huntsville
- B.A., French, 2005, The University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Professor Emeritus of Physics, The University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Visiting Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Glasgow
- Professional Engineer, AL License 25734
Research Summary
The thrust of the bulk of my research for the last 30 years or so has been the study of energy release and transport in solar flares, with emphasis on the diagnostics provided by hard X-ray observations, both spectra, images and polarization. Most recently, this project has been fueled with the exciting new imaging spectroscopy data from the NASA Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) satellite (logo on right), which uses a Fourier transform imaging technique. I have also studied flare electrodynamics and the hydrodynamic response of the solar atmosphere to flare energy input. After the launch of the BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, I spent some time studying the anisotropy and brightness distributions of gamma-ray bursts, and I have dabbled in cosmology, celestial mechanics, and circumstellar polarization.
The composite image above (from Hurford et al. 2003) is of a solar flare on July 23, 2002. The colored contours show the location of hard X-ray and gamma-ray emission at various energies; one of my research projects was to account for the different locations of the emission at different energies, through a study of particle acceleration in magnetic loops of different lengths.
I have also studied the evolution of the partition of energy in this event (image above), as well as the spatial evolution and polarization of the hard X-ray emission in this event.
See Selected Publications.
Teaching
In the Physics department at OSU, I teach introductory and upper level astrophysics courses. I also teach an Honors Seminar course called "Humans - Accident or Necessity," which explores the various rationales (from creationism and intelligent design through chance and observer-induced reality) for humankind's existence. More pragmatically, I teach review sessions for the Fundamentals of Engineering examination each semester. I am a Harlow Shapley lecturer for the American Astronomical Society, under the auspices of which I tour the country giving public lectures.
