American solar physicist (1927–2022)
Eugene Newman Parker (June 10, 1927 – March 15, 2022) was an Americansolar andplasma physicist . In the 1950s he proposed the existence of thesolar wind and that the magnetic field in theouter Solar System would be in the shape of aParker spiral , predictions that were later confirmed by spacecraft measurements. In 1987, Parker proposed the existence ofnanoflares , a leading candidate to explain thecoronal heating problem .
Parker obtained his PhD fromCaltech and spent four years as apostdoctoral researcher at theUniversity of Utah . He joinedUniversity of Chicago in 1955 and spent the rest of his career there, holding positions in the physics department, theastronomy andastrophysics department, and theEnrico Fermi Institute . Parker was elected to theNational Academy of Sciences in 1967. In 2017,NASA named itsParker Solar Probe in his honor, the first NASA spacecraft named after a living person.[ 1]
Parker was born inHoughton, Michigan to Glenn and Helen (MacNair) Parker on June 10, 1927.[ 2] Bachelor of Science degree inphysics fromMichigan State University in 1948 and aDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from Caltech in 1951.[ 3] University of Utah before joining the University of Chicago in 1955, where he spent the rest of his career.[ 3] astronomy andastrophysics department, and theEnrico Fermi Institute .[ 4] National Academy of Sciences in 1967.[ 4]
Theoretical research [ edit ] In the mid-1950s, Parker developed the theory of supersonicsolar wind and predicted theParker spiral shape of the solar magnetic field in theouter Solar System . His theoretical modeling was not immediately accepted by the astronomical community: when he submitted the results[ 5] The Astrophysical Journal Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar , finding no obvious errors in the paper, overruled the reviewers and published the paper anyway.[ 6] [ 7] Mariner 2 mission.[ 8]
Parker's work increased understanding of thesolar corona , thesolar wind , themagnetic fields of both the Earth and the Sun, and their complex electromagnetic interactions. In 1972, he formulated what became known as theParker theorem , which showed how thetopology ofmagnetic field lines in thesolar corona of the Sun (and similar stars) can produceflares atX-ray energies.[ 9] [ 10]
He published severaltextbooks , includingCosmical Magnetic Fields in 1979, and one on magnetic fields inX-ray astronomy in 1994.[ 11] coronal heating problem , in 1987 Parker proposed that the solar corona might be heated by myriad tiny "nanoflares ", miniature brightenings resemblingsolar flares that would occur all over the surface of the Sun. Parker's theory became a leading candidate to explain the problem.[ 4] [ 11]
Parker was married for 67 years to his wife, Niesje, with whom he had two children. He died in Chicago on March 15, 2022, at the age of 94.[ 2] [ 3]
1969:Arctowski Medal of theNational Academy of Sciences [ 12] 1969:Henry Norris Russell Lectureship of theAmerican Astronomical Society [ 13] 1978:George Ellery Hale Prize , Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society, first time this prize was awarded[ 14] 1979:Chapman Medal , Royal Astronomical Society[ 15] 1989:National Medal of Science [ 16] 1990:William Bowie Medal [ 4] 1992:Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society [ 17] 1997:Bruce Medal [ 11] 2003:Kyoto Prize [ 18] [ 19] 2003:James Clerk Maxwell Prize of theAmerican Physical Society . Citation: "For seminal contributions inplasma astrophysics , including predicting thesolar wind , explaining thesolar dynamo , formulating the theory ofmagnetic reconnection , and theinstability which predicts the escape of themagnetic fields from the galaxy."[ 20] 2010: Member of theNorwegian Academy of Science and Letters .[ 21] 2017:NASA renamed itsSolar Probe Plus mission toParker Solar Probe [ 22] [ 23] [ 2] 2018: Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research of theAmerican Physical Society . Citation: "For fundamental contributions to space physics, plasma physics, solar physics and astrophysics for over 60 years."[ 24] 2020:Crafoord Prize in Astronomy[ 25] Interplanetary Dynamical Processes , 1963, Interscience Publishers.ISBN 978-0-47-065916-8 Cosmical Magnetic Fields: Their Origin and their Activity , 1979, Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-851290-5 Spontaneous Current Sheets in Magnetic Fields: With Applications to Stellar X-rays , 1994, Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-507371-3 Conversations on Electric and Magnetic Fields in the Cosmos , 2007, Princeton University Press.ISBN 978-0-691-12841-2 ^ "Eugene Parker, 'legendary figure' in solar science and namesake of Parker Solar Probe, 1927-2022" .University of Chicago News . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2024 .^a b c Chang, Kenneth (March 17, 2022)."Eugene N. Parker, 94, Dies; Predicted the Existence of Solar Wind" .The New York Times . RetrievedMarch 17, 2022 . ^a b c Lerner, Louise (March 16, 2022)."Eugene Parker, 'legendary figure' in solar science and namesake of Parker Solar Probe, 1927–2022" . University of Chicago. RetrievedMarch 16, 2022 . ^a b c d Tatarewicz, Joseph N."Eugene N. Parker (1912– )" .Honors program .American Geophysical Union . Archived fromthe original on December 12, 2013. RetrievedDecember 7, 2013 . ^ Parker, Eugene N. (November 1958). "Dynamics of the Interplanetary Gas and Magnetic Fields".The Astrophysical Journal .128 :664– 676.Bibcode :1958ApJ...128..664P .doi :10.1086/146579 . ^ Parker, E. N. (1997), "The martial art of scientific publication",EOS Transactions 78 (37):391– 395,Bibcode :1997EOSTr..78..391P ,doi :10.1029/97EO00251 ^ Roach, John."Astrophysicist Recognized for Discovery of Solar Wind" .National Geographic News . National Geographic. Archived fromthe original on August 30, 2003. RetrievedJune 2, 2017 . ^ Chang, Kenneth (August 10, 2018)."NASA's Parker Solar Probe Is Named for Him. 60 Years Ago, No One Believed His Ideas About the Sun" .The New York Times .After Mariner 2, 'everyone agreed the solar wind existed,' Dr. Parker said. ^ Parker, E. N. (1990),"Formal mathematical solutions of the force-free equations, spontaneous discontinuities, and dissipation in large-scale magnetic fields" Physics of Magnetic Flux Ropes , Geophysical Monograph Series, vol. 58, Washington, D. C.: American Geophysical Union, pp. 195– 202,doi :10.1029/gm058p0195 ,ISBN 0-87590-026-7 , retrievedJanuary 7, 2024 ^ Chhabra, Sherry (April 30, 2022)."Obituary: Eugene N. Parker (1927 - 2022)" .SolarNews . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2024 . ^a b c Tenn, Joseph S."Eugene Newman Parker: 1997 Bruce Medalist" . Sonoma State University. RetrievedDecember 7, 2013 . ^ "Arctowski Medal" .National Academy of Sciences . Archived fromthe original on December 29, 2010. RetrievedFebruary 13, 2011 .^ "Henry Norris Russell Lectureship" .aas.org .American Astronomical Society . RetrievedMarch 16, 2022 .^ "George Ellery Hale Prize – Previous Winners" .spd.aas.org . AAS Solar Physics Division. RetrievedMarch 16, 2022 .^ "Chapman Medal winners" (PDF) .Awards, medals and prizes . Royal Astronomical Society. RetrievedOctober 9, 2019 .^ "Eugene N. Parker" .The President's National Medal of Science: Recipient Details .National Science Foundation . RetrievedDecember 7, 2013 .^ "The Gold Medal" (PDF) . Royal Astronomical Society. 2021. RetrievedDecember 20, 2021 .^ "Citation: Eugene Newman Parker" .Kyoto Prize . Inamori Foundation. Archived fromthe original on December 11, 2013. RetrievedDecember 7, 2013 .^ Roach, John (August 27, 2003)."Astrophysicist Recognized for Discovery of Solar Wind" .National Geographic News . Archived fromthe original on August 30, 2003. RetrievedDecember 7, 2013 . ^ "2003 James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics Recipient" .Prizes, Awards and Fellowships .American Physical Society . RetrievedDecember 7, 2013 .^ "Gruppe 2: Fysikkfag (herunder astronomi, fysikk og geofysikk)" (in Norwegian).Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters . Archived fromthe original on September 27, 2011. RetrievedOctober 7, 2010 .^ N. Davis (May 31, 2017)."Nasa's hotly anticipated solar mission renamed to honour astrophysicist Eugene Parker" .The Guardian . RetrievedMay 31, 2017 . ^ "NASA Renames Solar Probe Mission to Honor Pioneering Physicist Eugene Parker" .NASA . May 31, 2017. RetrievedMay 31, 2017 .^ "Award honors Prof. Eugene Parker's lifetime of physics research" .UChicago News . January 31, 2018. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2018 .^ "The Crafoord Prizes in Mathematics and Astronomy 2020" . January 30, 2020. RetrievedMarch 17, 2022 .
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