Categories: Weekly Space Hangout

Weekly Space Hangout: March 18, 2020 – Dr. Meng Jin and Modeling Coronal Mass Ejections

Hosts: Fraser Cain (universetoday.com / @fcain)

Beth Johnson (@planetarypan)

Moiya McTier (https://www.moiyamctier.com/ / @GoAstroMo)

Dr. Brian Koberlein (BrianKoberlein.com / @BrianKoberlein)

This week we are pleased to welcome Dr. Meng Jin, Research Scientist at the SETI Institute, to the Weekly Space Hangout. Meng uses numerical modeling techniques to analyze Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and related events [e.g., CME-Driven Shocks and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs).]

By comparing these models with in-situ and remote sensing observations, a better understanding of the physical processes during the propagation of CMEs can be developed resulting in more accurate space weather forecasts which will help to better protect Astronauts and space-based equipment such as satellites and the ISS.

Recently, Meng’s data modeling has expanded to include the simulation of stellar winds and CMEs for exo-solar and exo-planetary systems to study their influence on the habiitability of exo-planets.

Meng received his BS in Astronomy and MS in Astrophyiscs from Nanjing University, China. He was awarded his PhD in Space Physics & Scientific Computing from the University of Michigan in 2014 after which did his post-doc at Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab. From 2016-2017 Meng was a Project Scientist at UCAR, and in January 2018 he joined the SETI Institute as a Research Scientist.

You can read Meng’s full bio here https://www.seti.org/our-scientists/meng-jin

To learn more about the SETI Institute, visit https://seti.org/

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Susie Murph

Susie Murph is the Communications Specialist at CosmoQuest. She also produces Astronomy Cast and the Weekly Space Hangout, and is the former producer of the Parsec Award-winning Guide to Space video series.

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