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The Department of Physics & Astronomy
Presents
Andrew Yau
University of Calgary
The Physics of Thin Air: Tracking the Aurora and Related Weather Phenomena in Space
Thursday February 7th, 2019
1:40 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. in D632
Ever wonder why comets have a long comet tail? And ever wonder if our planet is gaining or losing “weight” (its mass)? In this talk, we will explore the fascinating link between these two topics using two basic laws of physics - the law of gravity, and Gauss’s law of magnetism. We will examine if space is indeed empty, and how the Earth’s upper atmosphere and magnetic field respond to the Sun’s electromagnetic and particle radiation. We will discuss how the resulting web of space weather phenomena, including the aurora, magnetic reconnection and space storms affect our increasingly technology-dependent society
Contact:
Catherine Drenth | catherine.drenth@uleth.ca | (403) 329-2280 | uleth.ca/artsci/physics-astronomy
