Stony Brook University
7:30 pm; ESS Building, Room 001
Friday, October 06, 2017
Man-made Space Weather: A Catastrophe for Modern Civilization?
Prof. Doug Swesty
In the 20th century humankind began to influence the magnetic field in space surrounding the Earth. Sources of this influence include high altitude chemical releases, high-frequency ionospheric heating experiments, and nuclear tests. The results of this influence have, at times, been unexpected. This talk will discuss these influences and the consequences of this man-made space weather. In at least one case man-made space weather poses a catastrophic threat to modern civilization.
Prof. Swesty received his PhD in Physics from SUNY Stony Brook in 1993. He spent six years at the University of Illinois as a postdoctoral researcher and as a Visiting Assistant Professor. He returned to Stony Brook in 1999 where he is currently a Research Associate Professor. His work focuses on nuclear astrophysics and computational astrophysics.
