Marshall Space Flight Center
Science Publications 2024
Astrophysics
Latest IXPE Discovery Papers Published
On Nov. 1, 2024, Astronomy and Astrophysics published “Studying geometry of the ultraluminous X-ray pulsar Swift J0243.6+6124 using X-ray and optical polarimetry” by Juri Poutanen et al. Read the article here.
On Nov. 15, 2024, Astronomy and Astrophysics published “Probing the polarized emission from SMC X-1: The brightest X-ray pulsar observed by IXPE” by Sofia Forsblom et al. This is the 68th discovery paper published by the IXPE Science Team. Read the article here.
Heliophysics and Planetary
Paper on Small-scale Solar Events Accepted for Publishing
Dr. Alphonse Sterling of Marshall Space Flight Center’s Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch is a co-author on a paper describing solar eruptions occurring on size scales several orders of magnitude less energetic than those that produce typical solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The paper is titled “Transition Region Brightenings in a Moss Region and their Relation with Lower Atmospheric Dynamics.” The study was led by Bhinva Ram, who is a student of Sterling’s former postdoc Dr. Tanmoy Samanta, currently working in India. The paper will appear in The Astrophysical Journal and a preprint is accessible online.
Marshall Scientist Invited to Write Yearly Review for the Atmospheric and Space Environments Technical Committee
Dr. Linda Habash Krause of Marshall Space Flight Center’s Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch is first author on a paper describing significant events in missions, laboratory facilities, and models for the Atmospheric and Space Environments Technical Committee (ASETC) 2024 Year-In-Review (YIR). This paper will be published in the December issue of Aerospace America, the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics’s (AIAA) monthly journal. Each year, AIAA publishes significant accomplishments in specialized fields. These accomplishments are monitored by the AIAA Technical Committees and Krause was invited by the ASETC Chair to write this year’s review. The article’s headline is: “Sounding rocket launches, new public models, and data highlight progress for the 2024 ASETC YIR.” Three Marshall sounding rocket missions, the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS-2), the High-Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C), and the Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI-4) missions are highlighted. The article also covers progress in space simulation chambers, new models available to the public, updates at NASA’s Community Coordinated Modeling Center, and a tribute to decommissioned sources of Atmospheric and Space Environemts data that were retired in 2024.
Earth Science
Marshall Scientist’s Paper on Strengthening Food Self-Sufficiency Published in Georgia
In conjunction with a research project studying the environmental impacts of political and societal change in the Caucasus over the past 30 years, Dr. Pontus Olofsson of Marshall Space Flight Center has co-authored a paper that has been accepted for publication in Environmental Research: Food Systems. The paper describes the study of the potential for sustainable agricultural intensification in the country of Georgia, where political upheaval, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, has led to a sharp decline in agricultural productivity, leaving Georgia highly dependent on food imports. Closing this yield gap in Georgia through sustainable intensification has the potential to increase food self-sufficiency, support rural livelihoods, and strengthen food security and sovereignty. To achieve sustainable intensification, farmers will need training in using different crop varieties, fertilizers, and pest and disease control practices and products. The high employment rate in the agricultural sector of Georgia provides opportunities to reduce poverty and increase quality of life by increasing incomes and food security. As principal investigator, Olofsson’s research was funded through a grant from the NASA Land-Use & Land-Cover Change Program. Read the paper here.
