Research
I was a physics and astronomy major at Whitman College, and worked as a summer
intern on a variety of research projects, including interstellar abundances.
My interest in astronomy and in space also translated to flight training, and
a pilot's license.
For the last two years, I have worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center.
With Dr. Dean Pesnell, I have studied detection methods for solar polar
coronal holes. I have been working to develop techniques for using the solar
limb for feature identification, tracing the location of the Sun's outwardly
directed polar magnetic field using a feature on the limb. I have also
investigated ways to calibrate solar images taken at very short wavelengths
but many years apart.
I am very curious about the key processes which drive the solar dynamo and
changes in the solar polarity, and predictive tests for charting the future
activity level of the Sun.
I will begin my graduate studies in August 2008, and am strongly interested in
both solar astronomy and galactic dynamics.
Meetings
December 2007: American Geophysical Union meeting
Methods of Detecting Polar Coronal Holes in the EUV
Michael Kirk & Dean Pesnell
September 2007: NASA Living with a Star meeting
