Nancy Crooker

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Nancy Crooker
Professor Nancy Crooker.jpg
Born (1944-04-01) April 1, 1944 (age 80)
Chicago, USA
CitizenshipUnited States
Alma mater University of California, Los Angeles
OccupationResearcher
Employer Boston University

Nancy U. Crooker (born April 1, 1944) is an American physicist and professor emerita of space physics at Boston University, Massachusetts. [1] She has made major contributions to the understanding of geomagnetism in the Earth's magnetosphere and the heliosphere, particularly through the study of interplanetary electrons and magnetic reconnection.

Contents

Early life and education

Crooker was born in Chicago in 1944.  Her father, Michael Uss, a Lithuanian who emigrated to America as a child, was a foreman at the freight yards of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, and her mother, Helen Narovec, was a housewife.  

Crooker holds a BA in physics from Knox College, Illinois, and an MSc in Meteorology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). [1] [2] In 1972 Crooker was awarded her PhD in Atmospheric Sciences, also from UCLA, with her doctoral dissertation entitled, "The Low-Latitude Asymmetric Disturbance in the Geomagnetic Field". [3]

Research career

Crooker has published 207 peer-reviewed articles (as of 8 October 2019) [4] across a range of topics within space physics. Her early career was as a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University and then the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1970s. There, together with Joan Feynman in their seminal Nature paper, [5] she was one of the first physicists to use geomagnetic data as a way to reconstruct solar activity prior to the space age. [6] Crooker then developed the concept of anti-parallel merging of magnetic field lines in Earth's magnetosphere published in Journal of Geophysical Research in 1979. [7]

In 1990, she returned to UCLA as an adjunct professor before making her final move to Boston University as a research professor in 1994. [2] Around this time, Crooker switched focus from the magnetosphere to the heliosphere, in particular the interplanetary manifestations of coronal mass ejections. In 1997, she co-edited a monograph on coronal mass ejections. [8] In 2002, she coined the term "interchange reconnection" for describing the dynamic process by which heliospheric magnetic flux introduced by coronal mass ejections is subsequently removed, [9] [10] a term which has been comprehensively adopted in the field.

Crooker was president of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Space Physics & Aeronomy Section from 2004 to 2006. [11] [12] She is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, [13] where the fellowship program recognizes AGU members who have made exceptional contributions to Earth and space science through a breakthrough, discovery, or innovation in their field. [14] She also received the prestigious Eugene Parker Lecture award from the AGU in 2013, only the third woman to do so. [15]

She has worked closely over decades with several other prominent space physicists, including John T. Gosling, Marcia Neugebauer, Mike Lockwood, Chris Russell and Thomas Zurbuchen. [2]

Scientific Citizenship

Crooker has served on numerous committees, panels and taskforces throughout her career, including:

Awards and honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar wind</span> Stream of charged particles from the Sun

The solar wind is a stream of charged particles released from the Sun's outermost atmospheric layer, the corona. This plasma mostly consists of electrons, protons and alpha particles with kinetic energy between 0.5 and 10 keV. The composition of the solar wind plasma also includes a mixture of particle species found in the solar plasma: trace amounts of heavy ions and atomic nuclei of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, and iron. There are also rarer traces of some other nuclei and isotopes such as phosphorus, titanium, chromium, and nickel's isotopes 58Ni, 60Ni, and 62Ni. Superimposed with the solar-wind plasma is the interplanetary magnetic field. The solar wind varies in density, temperature and speed over time and over solar latitude and longitude. Its particles can escape the Sun's gravity because of their high energy resulting from the high temperature of the corona, which in turn is a result of the coronal magnetic field. The boundary separating the corona from the solar wind is called the Alfvén surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronal mass ejection</span> Ejecta from the Suns corona

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a significant ejection of magnetic field and accompanying plasma mass from the Sun's corona into the heliosphere. CMEs are often associated with solar flares and other forms of solar activity, but a broadly accepted theoretical understanding of these relationships has not been established.

A Forbush decrease is a rapid decrease in the observed galactic cosmic ray intensity following a coronal mass ejection (CME). It occurs due to the magnetic field of the plasma solar wind sweeping some of the galactic cosmic rays away from Earth. The term Forbush decrease was named after the American physicist Scott E. Forbush, who studied cosmic rays in the 1930s and 1940s.

<i>Journal of Geophysical Research</i> Peer-reviewed scientific journal

The Journal of Geophysical Research is a peer-reviewed scientific journal. It is the flagship journal of the American Geophysical Union. It contains original research on the physical, chemical, and biological processes that contribute to the understanding of the Earth, Sun, and Solar System. It has seven sections: A, B, C (Oceans), D (Atmospheres), E (Planets), F, and G (Biogeosciences). All current and back issues are available online for subscribers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Feynman</span> American astrophysicist (1927–2020)

Joan Feynman was an American astrophysicist and space physicist. She made contributions to the study of solar wind particles and fields, sun-Earth relations, and magnetospheric physics. In particular, Feynman was known for developing an understanding of the origin of auroras. She was also known for creating a model that predicts the number of high-energy particles likely to hit a spacecraft over its lifetime, and for uncovering a method for predicting sunspot cycles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy L. Killeen</span> British and American geophysicist

Timothy Laurence Killeen is a British and American geophysicist, space physicist, professor, and university administrator. Killeen took office as the president of the University of Illinois system in 2015. He has been the principal investigator on research projects for NASA and the National Science Foundation. Killeen has authored more than 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as more than 300 other publications and papers. He has served on various White House committees and task forces and is a past editor-in-chief of the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John T. Gosling</span> American physicist (1938–2018)

John T. Gosling was an American physicist, whose research in heliophysics focused on the large-scale structure and magnetic topology of the solar wind, coronal mass ejections, solar wind and geomagnetic disturbances, magnetic reconnection, collisionless shocks, and particle acceleration in space. Gosling most recently performed research at University of Colorado and was an Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander J. Dessler</span> American astrophysicist (1928–2023)

Alexander J. Dessler was an American space scientist known for conceiving the term heliosphere and for founding the first Space Science Department in the United States.

Jo Ann Cram Joselyn is an astrogeophysicist. She was the first woman to receive a doctorate from the University of Colorado's astrogeophysics program, and has advocated for the importance of women's leadership in the sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mei-Ching Fok</span> NASA scientist and researcher

Mei-Ching Hannah Fok is a research space physicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center. She was awarded the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal in 2011 and elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2019. She has worked on the IMAGE, Van Allen Probes and TWINS missions.

Janet G. Luhmann is an American physicist and senior fellow of the Space Sciences Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley. She has made major contributions to a wide range of topics in planetary, solar, magnetospheric, and heliospheric physics. She is the principal investigator of the IMPACT instrument suite on the twin-spacecraft STEREO mission. IMPACT stands for In-situ Measurements of Particles and Coronal mass ejection (CME) Transients. It consists of a, "suite of seven instruments that samples the 3-D distribution of solar wind plasma electrons, the characteristics of the solar energetic particle (SEP) ions and electrons, and the local vector magnetic field."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Siscoe</span> American physicist

George L. Siscoe was an American physicist and professor emeritus of space physics at Boston University. He made major contributions to the understanding of the Earth's magnetosphere and the heliosphere, particularly in helping to establishing the field of space weather and the term heliophysics - a term which is now standard use.

The Ambassador Award is one of the most prestigious union-level awards of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and recognizes individuals whose excellence and leadership in research, education, and innovation have significantly advanced Earth and space science. The Ambassador Award recognizes the value of AGU members’ outstanding contributions that benefit society above and beyond their own research.

Catherine G. Constable is an Australian earth scientist who is a professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her research considers palaeo- and geo-magnetism. Constable was awarded the American Geophysical Union William Gilbert Award in 2013 and elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2017.

Hilary Cane is planetary scientist known for her research on solar energetic particles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Reiff</span> Space physicist

Patricia Reiff is an American space physicist at Rice University, known for her research on space weather and for engaging the public about science.

Margaret Ann ("Peggy") Shea is a space scientist known for research on the connections between cosmic radiation and Earth's magnetic field.

Tamitha Skov is a space weather physicist, researcher and public speaker based in Los Angeles. She is also referred to as "Space Weather Woman" in social media, where she forecasts and analyzes space weather processes - in the heliosphere and exosphere, in addition to her conducting the same in traditional media. Skov is presently serving as a research scientist at The Aerospace Corporation and as an adjunct professor of heliophysics and space weather at Millerville University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Dungey</span> British space scientist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy</span> Indian American Solar Physicist

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References

  1. 1 2 "Nancy Crooker | Astronomy". www.bu.edu. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  2. 1 2 3 "Nancy Crooker CV" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  3. ↑ Crooker, Nancy. "THE LOW-LATITUDE ASYMMETRIC DISTURBANCE IN THE GEOMAGNETIC FIELD". ucsc.primo.exlibrisgroup.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  4. ↑ "N. U. Crooker's research works | Boston University, MA (BU) and other places". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  5. ↑ Feynman, J.; Crooker, N. U. (1978-10-01). "The solar wind at the turn of the century". Nature. 275 (5681): 626–627. Bibcode:1978Natur.275..626F. doi:10.1038/275626a0. ISSN   1476-4687. S2CID   4194618.
  6. ↑ Crooker, N. U.; Feynman, J.; Gosling, J. T. (1977-05-01). "On the high correlation between long-term averages of solar wind speed and geomagnetic activity". Journal of Geophysical Research. 82 (13): 1933–1937. Bibcode:1977JGR....82.1933C. doi:10.1029/JA082i013p01933.
  7. ↑ Crooker, N. U. (1979). "Dayside merging and cusp geometry". Journal of Geophysical Research. 84 (A3): 951–959. Bibcode:1979JGR....84..951C. doi:10.1029/JA084iA03p00951. ISSN   2156-2202.
  8. ↑ Coronal mass ejections. Crooker, Nancy, 1944-, Joselyn, J. A., Feynman, Joan. Washington, D.C.: American Geophysical Union. 1997. ISBN   087590081X. OCLC   37260958.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ↑ Crooker, N. U.; Gosling, J. T.; Kahler, S. W. (2002). "Reducing heliospheric magnetic flux from coronal mass ejections without disconnection". Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. 107 (A2): SSH 3–1–SSH 3–5. Bibcode:2002JGRA..107.1028C. doi: 10.1029/2001JA000236 . ISSN   2156-2202.
  10. ↑ Owens, M. J.; Crooker, N. U. (2006-10-11). "Coronal mass ejections and magnetic flux buildup in the heliosphere". Journal of Geophysical Research. 111 (A10). Bibcode:2006JGRA..11110104O. doi: 10.1029/2006ja011641 . ISSN   0148-0227. S2CID   32440026.
  11. ↑ Anonymous (2003-09-30). "Candidates for office 2004–2006". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union. 84 (39): 399–403. Bibcode:2003EOSTr..84..399.. doi: 10.1029/2003EO390011 . ISSN   2324-9250.
  12. 1 2 "AGU Space Physics & Aeronomy Section Memo: Subject: Action Needed - Future of Science at NASA". www.spaceref.com. 31 March 2005. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  13. 1 2 "Crooker". Honors Program. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  14. ↑ "Union Fellows | AGU". www.agu.org. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  15. 1 2 3 "Eugene Parker Lecture | AGU". www.agu.org. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  16. ↑ Williams, Billy M. (March 2015). "Task Force Recommends Ways to Improve AGU Fellows Program". Eos. 96. American Geophysical Union (AGU). doi: 10.1029/2015eo025545 .
  17. ↑ "Task Force Recommends Ways to Improve AGU Fellows Program". Eos. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  18. ↑ "Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union Volume 91, Number 39, 28 September 2010". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union. 91 (39): n/a. 2010-09-28. doi: 10.1029/eost2010EO39 . ISSN   2324-9250.
  19. ↑ "NASA - Ulysses Media Telecon". www.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  20. ↑ Balogh, A.; Gosling, J. T.; Jokipii, J. R.; Kallenbach, R.; Kunow, H., eds. (1999). Corotating Interaction Regions. Space Sciences Series of ISSI. Vol. 7. Bibcode:1999cir..book.....B. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-1179-1. ISBN   978-90-481-5367-1. ISSN   1385-7525.
  21. ↑ "CNN - Satellite sheds light on solar storms - December 9, 1997". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  22. ↑ Tsurutani, Bruce T. (1990-08-14). "SPR Awards Committee". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union. 71 (33): 1028. Bibcode:1990EOSTr..71.1028T. doi:10.1029/90EO00269. ISSN   2324-9250.
  23. ↑ "People of SHINE". www.shinecon.org. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  24. ↑ "Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union Volume 90, Number 51, 22 December 2009". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union. 90 (51): n/a. 2009-12-22. doi:10.1029/eost2009EO51. ISSN   2324-9250.
  25. ↑ "Issue 85, October 25, 1995 - Space Physics and Aeronomy". spa.agu.org. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  26. ↑ Anonymous (1993-06-15). "1992 Editors' Citations: Excellence in refereeing". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union. 74 (24): 269. Bibcode:1993EOSTr..74..269.. doi:10.1029/93EO00433. ISSN   2324-9250.
  27. ↑ Anonymous (1997-08-19). "1996 Editors' citations: Excellence in reviewing". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union. 78 (33): 350–351. Bibcode:1997EOSTr..78..350.. doi: 10.1029/97EO00227 . ISSN   2324-9250.
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