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Solar Scientist Wins Top Goddard Space Science Award

(l to r) Dr. Colleen Hartman, Dr. Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy, Dr. Mark Clampin
Dr. Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy accepts the 2017 John C. Lindsay Award from Dr. Colleen Hartman and Dr. Mark Clampin, director and deputy director, respectively, of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Debbie McCallum

Dr. Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy has long been curious about the way the Sun’s energy sustains life on one hand and presents hazards on the other. Over the last three decades, that curiosity has led him to several notable discoveries and prestigious accolades — the most recent being the John C. Lindsay Memorial Award, the highest honor for space science at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Gopalswamy, an astrophysicist who studies solar activity, received the award at the Lindsay Memorial Award and Lecture ceremony on Sept. 27, 2017, at NASA Goddard.

This award is an annual distinction given to a Goddard scientist who exemplifies the same level of scientific achievement as Lindsay. During the 1950s and ’60s, Lindsay served as the associate chief of the Space Sciences Division and headed the Goddard solar physics program. He also managed several Explorer and Pioneer missions.

Aside from receiving an award that bears Lindsay’s name, Gopalswamy feels connected to him in another way. Lindsay initiated the program that enabled the discovery of coronal mass ejections, or CMEs — the very phenomenon that Gopalswamy now studies. CMEs are giant bubbles of magnetized gas that the Sun sometimes hurls into space over several hours. In 1971, the first satellite detection of this kind of solar storm was achieved by OSO-7, the seventh satellite of NASA’s Orbiting Solar Observatory Project. That program was conceived and directed by Lindsay.

“I appreciate the tremendous vision Dr. Lindsay had in identifying the right tools and initiating pathways for rapid advances in understanding the workings of our Sun,” Gopalswamy said.

Gopalswamy lends his expertise to NASA’s SOHO and STEREO missions. Using data from several large radio telescopes and space missions, Gopalswamy has furthered our understanding of CMEs and other types of solar storms — how they originate, evolve and affect the space near Earth and between the planets.

Dr. Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy
Gopalswamy explains his research on solar energetic particles during his John C. Lindsay Lecture on Sept. 27, 2017, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Debbie McCallum

In his study of CMEs, Gopalswamy has improved awareness of the Sun’s interactions with Earth, as well as the challenges solar activity may present for human and robotic space exploration. The Lindsay award recognizes Gopalswamy’s many contributions to our understanding of solar activity, culminating in his discovery work on the correlation between the acceleration of CMEs close to the Sun and the spectra of solar energetic particles.

Dr. James Klimchuk, who won the 2013 Lindsay award for his study of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, praised Gopalswamy for his extensive research. Gopalswamy has authored or co-authored more than 450 research articles that are often cited in scientific literature, and he’s among the top 10 most-frequently published authors at Goddard.

“Gopal has been tremendously productive in terms of the quantity and quality of his research, and he has made a huge impact on the field,” Klimchuk said. “The Lindsay Award recognizes this research, but Gopal has also made enormous contributions in service, especially to the international community.”

Gopalswamy leads scientific organizations that promote international collaboration, including the International Space Weather Initiative and the Scientific Committee on Solar Terrestrial Physics. He has earned several distinctions for his combination of scientific excellence and leadership, including the 2013 NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and election to the 2016 class of American Geophysical Union Fellows.

When he’s not working on his own research, he’s often helping others with theirs. Dr. Anand Bhatia, who is an emeritus of the Heliophysics Science Division and nominated Gopalswamy for the Lindsay award, said it’s not unusual to see him spending extra time in his office or in the lab, talking physics with students and mentoring budding scientists. Though he’s accomplished so much and has given to so many, Gopalswamy is quick to credit those around him. 

“This award is an important recognition of the contributions of my collaborators around the world, postdocs, and the students who worked with me over the years,” Gopalswamy said.

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By Micheala Sosby
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.