Public talk - The Aurora - Nature's Lightshow in the Sky

The aurora has been a source of wonder for humanity since the earliest times. This natural phenomenon of dancing patterns of light and color continues to intrigue space scientists the world over. The fundamental power source for the Aurora is the sun’s solar wind, which interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field beyond the atmosphere to energise particles and create the light that we see.

In the style of the great Julius Sumner Miller, this talk includes live demonstrations to illustrate some of the basic physics ideas using equipment from the School of Physics. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for audience members of all ages to speak to Dr Kletzing and see the equipment up close.

Picture: Electron beam being bent in a uniform magnet field.

Dr. Kletzing is a Professor in the Dept. of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Iowa, USA. His scientific research is in space plasmas with an emphasis on the Aurora and the radiation belts. He is currently the lead investigator on a suite of instruments for NASA’s Radiation Belt Strom Probes. He has also launched several experiments on high altitude sounding. In his spare time, he plays electric guitar in the Iowa City rock band, "Brace For Blast".

Date: Thursday August 7th, 2008

Time: 6.30 – 7.30 PM (light refreshments from 6pm)

Venue: Slade Lecture Theatre, ground floor, School of Physics

RSVP: Hyacinth Alfonso, halfonso@physics.usyd.edu.au or 9351 3037 with your name and number of seats required.