Current research project

My current research is in the Lyman alpha spectral line of the sun during solar flares. Solar flares are among the most energetic events in our solar system, they occur when stressed magnetic field lines reconnect in the solar corona, imparting colossal amounts of energy into charged particles. Solar flares are the resulting burst of electromagnetic radiation that occurs due to these high energy particles colliding with other particles in the solar atmosphere.

Currently, I am investigating Lyman alpha data from the instrument SOLSTICE (Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment) of the satellite SORCE (Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment). Historically there has been a lack of substantial research into the Lyman alpha line during flares despite it radiating a substantial amount of flare energy and having an influence on Earth's atmosphere. This makes it an important area of research today, allowing us to further our understanding of flare energetics and space weather.

Biography

I was born in Belfast and have lived here since. I began an undergraduate masters at QUB in 2018 and graduated in 2022, starting my PhD here in the same year. My masters project was under professor Mihalis Mathioudakis, using RADYN models of solar flares.

Research interest

• Solar Flare Observations
• Solar Flare Modelling
• Space Weather
• Lyman Alpha/EUV Spectroscopy