Sami Solanki

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Sami Khan Solanki
Born October 2, 1958 (1958-10-02) (age 49)
Fields Astronomy, Solar physics
Institutions Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Alma mater Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Known for Solar and heliospheric physics, solar magnetism and Sun-Earth relations

Sami Khan Solanki (born 1958) is Professor at the Institute of Astronomy at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich[1] (Swiss Federal Institure of Technology in Zürich) and is the Director for the Sun-Heliosphere Department of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, and a scientific member of the Max Planck Society.[2][3] and a Chair (and spokesperson) of the International Max Planck Research School on Physical Processes in the Solar System and Beyond at the Universities of Braunschweig and Göttingen.[4]. He is the editor-in-chief of the Living ReviewsTM in Solar Physics [5] an online review journal for solar physics and related fields.

Solanki's main topics of research are:

  • Solar and heliospheric physics, in particular solar magnetism and Sun-Earth relations
  • Stellar astrophysics, mainly stellar activity and magnetism
  • Astronomical tests of theories of gravitation
  • Atomic and molecular physics of astronomical interest
  • Protoplanetary discs and extrasolar planets
  • Radiative transfer of polarized light

He has contributed to SOHO Virgo, STEREO Secchi, SDO HMI[6] projects.

Contents

[edit] Academic career

[edit] Awards and Honours

[edit] Controversy

Solanki's research has been quoted as being part of the Global warming controversy, for instance in an article in the Telegraph.co.uk in 2004[9][10] as taking a sceptical position:

“ the impact of more intense sunshine on the ozone layer and on cloud cover could be affecting the climate more than the sunlight itself ”

But the same research has been quoted as being evidence for global warming in a News release from the Max Planck Society[11] where he is quoted as saying:

“ since about 1980, while the total solar radiation, its ultraviolet component, and the cosmic ray intensity all exhibit the 11-year solar periodicity, there has otherwise been no significant increase in their values. In contrast, the Earth has warmed up considerably within this time period. This means that the Sun is not the cause of the present global warming. ”

[edit] Selected Publications[12]

Solanki, Sami K.; Usoskin, Ilya G.; Kromer, Bernd; Schüssler, Manfred & Beer, Jürg (2004), “Unusual activity of the Sun during recent decades compared to the previous 11,000 years”, Nature 431: 1084-1087, doi:10.1038/nature02995, <http://cc.oulu.fi/%7Eusoskin/personal/nature02995.pdf> 

Solanki, Sami K. & Krivova, Natalia A. (2003), “Can solar variability explain global warming since 1970?”, Journal of Geophysical Research 108 (A5): 7.1-7.8, doi:10.1029/2002JA009753, <http://www.mps.mpg.de/homes/natalie/PAPERS/warming.pdf> 

Usoskin, Ilya G.; Solanki, Sami K.; Schüssler, Manfred; Mursula, Kalevi & Alanko, Katja (2003), “A Millennium Scale Sunspot Number Reconstruction: Evidence For an Unusually Active Sun Since the 1940’s”, Physical Review Letters 91, doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.211101, <http://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0310823> 

Solanki, Sami K. (1993), “Small-scale solar magnetic fields: An overview”, Space Science Reviews 63 (1-2): 1-188, doi:10.1007/BF00749277, <http://www.springerlink.com/content/rum04160342m7627/> 

Schuessler, M. & Solanki, Sami K. (1992), “Why rapid rotators have polar spots”, Astronomy and Astrophysics 264 (1): L13-L16, <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992A&A...264L..13S> 

Solanki, Sami K. (1986), “Velocities in solar magnetic fluxtubes”, Astronomy and Astrophysics 168 (1-2): 311-329, <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1986A&A...168..311S> 

Solanki, Sami K. & Stenflo, J.O. (1984), “Properties of solar magnetic fluxtubes as revealed by Fe I lines”, Astronomy and Astrophysics 140 (1): 185-198, <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992A&A...264L..13S> 

[edit] References

  1. ^ Solanki's staff page at the ETHZ
  2. ^ Organizational profile for the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
  3. ^ Organizational chart for the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
  4. ^ Staff page for the International Max Planck Research School on Physical Processes in the Solar System and Beyond
  5. ^ Living Reviews in Solar Physics
  6. ^ The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), led from Stanford University in Stanford, CA, studies solar variability and characterizes the Sun’s interior and the various components of magnetic activity.
  7. ^ short bio
  8. ^ Notice of associateship of the Royal Astronomical Society
  9. ^ Leidig, Michael; Roya Nikkhah. "The truth about global warming - it's the Sun that's to blame", Telegraph.co.uk, 2007-07-18. 
  10. ^ Leidig, Michael. "Hotter-burning sun warming the planet", The Washington Times, 2004-07-18. Retrieved on 2007-04-18. 
  11. ^ Max Planck Society (2004-08-02). "How Strongly Does the Sun Influence the Global Climate? – Studies at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research reveal: solar activity affects the climate but plays only a minor role in the current global warming". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-04-16.
  12. ^ Complete list of publications

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Solanki, Sami K.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Astronomer
DATE OF BIRTH 1958-10-02
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH