Dennis L. Gallagher

Affiliation: NASA MSFC/ST13

Email: dennis.l.gallagher@nasa.gov

Phone: (256) 961-XXXX

Dr. Dennis L. Gallagher has worked in a variety of areas in space physics at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. His research spans from studying Auroral Kilometric Radiation and wave-packet bursts upstream of the Jovian bow shock to dust impacts during transit of the Saturnian ring plane. He has been an Investigator on the Dynamics Explorer 1, Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer science team and Co-Investigator for the IMAGER for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) Mission. He has also studied the physical properties of individual dust grains in the MSFC Dusty Plasma Laboratory.

Research Areas

• Magnetospheric Physics: Studying plasma processes, ionospheric ion outflow and transport, and empirical modeling of magnetospheric core plasma.
• Wave-Particle Interactions: Investigating the effects of heavy ions on wave-particle plasma processes and various wave phenomena in space environments.
• Dusty Plasma Physics: Studying the physical properties of individual dust grains in the MSFC Dusty Plasma Laboratory related to planetary formation and exploration.

Current Projects

Empirical Core Plasma Model: Development and refinement of empirical models for magnetospheric core plasma.

Plasmasphere Research: Investigating plasmaspheric notches, erosion and refilling processes, and other dynamics of the Earth’s plasmasphere.

MSFC Dusty Plasma Laboratory: Conducting laboratory experiments on dust grains related to planetary formation and space exploration

Education

Ph.D. in Physics
University of Iowa, 1982

M.S. in Physics
University of Iowa, 1978

B.S. in Physics
Iowa State University, 1974

Professional Experience

Research Physicist
NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center
Current

Investigator
Dynamics Explorer 1, Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer science team

Co-Investigator
IMAGER for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) Mission

Publications

Gallagher, D. L., Comfort, R. H., Katus, R. M., Sandel, B. R., Fung, S. F., & Adrian, M. L. (2021)

“The breathing plasmasphere: Erosion and refilling”
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 126, e2020JA028727

Gallagher, D. L., and R. H. Comfort (2016)

“Unsolved problems in plasmasphere refilling”
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 121, 1447–1451

Gallagher, D.L. and Mark L. Adrian (2007)

“Two-dimensional drift velocities from the IMAGE EUV plasmaspheric imager”
Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 69, Issue 3, Pages 341-350

Gallagher, D. L., M. L. Adrian, M. W. Liemohn (2005)

“The Origin and Evolution of Deep Plasmaspheric Notches”
Journal of Geophysical Research, 110, A09201, doi:10.1029/2004JA010906, A09201

Abbas, M. M., et al. (2004)

“Laboratory experiments on rotation and alignment of the analogs of interstellar dust grains by radiation”
The Astrophysical Journal, 614:718-795

Gallagher, D. L., P.D. Craven, and R.H. Comfort (2000)

“Global Core Plasma Model”
Journal of Geophysical Research, 105, 18819-18833