Christopher Scott (scientist) explained

Christopher John Scott (né Davis) is a British scientist and professor of space and atmospheric physics at the University of Reading.[1] His research focuses on the boundary and links between the atmosphere and space. He is the former project scientist for the Heliospheric Imager instruments on NASA's twin STEREO spacecraft.[2] [3]

Education and research career

Scott attended Brockenhust College,[4] before completing a BSc in Physics with Planetary & Space Physics at Aberystwyth University in 1989. He was awarded a PhD in upper atmosphere and auroral physics at the University of Southampton in 1993. After his PhD, he moved to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, initially to support the EISCAT ionospheric radar, before taking up a number of research posts, including project scientist for the Heliospheric Imagers on the twin STEREO spacecraft.[5] At the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Scott worked closely with Richard Harrison and Mike Lockwood. In 2010, Scott moved to the University of Reading.

Research highlights

Scott's primary research focus is on the ionosphere, particularly perturbations from below by atmospheric phenomenon. Scott was the first scientist to demonstrate lightning effects on the 'sporadic E' layer; transient, localized patches of relatively high electron density in the mid-ionosphere, which significantly affect radio-wave propagation.[6] He subsequently investigated the relation between lightning occurrence and magnetic structures in the solar wind.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] Scott has also used novel datasets to study how pressure waves from the lower atmosphere can lead to disturbances in the ionosphere, most notably using records of the London Blitz World War II bombing raids and ionospheric measurements from Slough.[12] [13] [14] [15]

Using the Heliospheric Imager instruments on the STEREO spacecraft, Scott made the first observations of a solar eruption tracked continuously from the Sun to the Earth.[16]

Public outreach and citizen science

Scott is actively involved in the public communication and promotion of science. He has made numerous appearances on TV and radio, most notably the BBC’s Sky at Night,[17] Newsnight, BBC Radio 4’s Today programme,[18] BBC2's James May's Man Lab, ITN news, and the Discovery Channel. He was science adviser for episode 1 of the BBC series ‘Seven Wonders of the Solar System’

Scott is the co-founder of the citizen science "Solar Stormwatch" project, to track solar eruptions in heliospheric imager data.[19] [20] [21]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Christopher Scott University of Reading. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191102145127/https://research.reading.ac.uk/meteorology/people/christopher-scott-formerly-davis/ . 2 November 2019 .
  2. Web site: Seeing the Sun from all Angles. www.birmingham.ac.uk. 2019-11-02.
  3. Web site: RAL Space Humankind sees sun as never before.... www.ralspace.stfc.ac.uk. 2019-11-02.
  4. Web site: A former Brock student who became university professor gives meteorology presentation Brockenhurst College Brock is one of the most successful Sixth Form colleges in the UK, offering A levels, Vocational, Adult Learning, Apprenticeships, Business courses.. College. Brockenhurst. 2015-12-09. www.brock.ac.uk. 2019-11-02.
  5. Eyles. C. J.. Harrison. R. A.. Davis. C. J.. Waltham. N. R.. Shaughnessy. B. M.. Mapson-Menard. H. C. A.. Bewsher. D.. Crothers. S. R.. Davies. J. A.. Simnett. G. M.. Howard. R. A.. 2009-02-01. The Heliospheric Imagers Onboard the STEREO Mission. Solar Physics. 254. 2. 387–445. 10.1007/s11207-008-9299-0. 2009SoPh..254..387E . 2268/15675 . 54977854 . 1573-093X.
  6. Davis. C. J.. Johnson. C. G.. June 2005. Lightning-induced intensification of the ionospheric sporadic E layer. Nature. 435. 7043. 799–801. 10.1038/nature03638. 15944700. 2005Natur.435..799D . 4325155 . 1476-4687.
  7. Scott. C. J.. Harrison. R. G.. Owens. M. J.. Lockwood. M.. Barnard. L.. May 2014. Evidence for solar wind modulation of lightning. Environmental Research Letters. 9. 5. 055004. 10.1088/1748-9326/9/5/055004. 2014ERL.....9e5004S . 1748-9326. free.
  8. News: Active Sun sparks lightning strikes. Morelle. Rebecca. Rebecca Morelle. 2014-05-15. 2019-11-02.
  9. Moskvitch. Katia. Lightning linked to solar wind. Nature News. 10.1038/nature.2014.15229. 2014. 131121954 .
  10. News: Sun's activity triggers lightning strikes. Clark. Stuart. 2014-05-15. The Guardian. 2019-11-02. 0261-3077.
  11. News: Weather eye: does space trigger lightning?. Simons. Paul. 2014-05-27. The Times. 2019-11-02. 0140-0460.
  12. Web site: Shockwaves From WWII Bombing Raids Rippled the Edges of Space. https://web.archive.org/web/20180927052027/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/09/news-wwii-bombing-ionosphere-atmospheric-science/. dead. 27 September 2018. 2018-09-26. Science. 2019-11-02.
  13. Web site: Bombing raids during WWII sent out shockwaves powerful enough to alter the Earth's ionosphere. at 08:00. Katyanna Quach 27 Sep 2018. www.theregister.co.uk. 2019-11-02.
  14. Web site: Impact of WWII bombing raids felt at edge of space. European Geosciences Union (EGU). 2019-11-02.
  15. Web site: World War II bombing raids in London and Berlin struck the edge of space, our new study reveals. Scott. Chris. Major. Patrick. The Conversation. 2019-11-02.
  16. Davis. C. J.. Davies. J. A.. Lockwood. M.. Rouillard. A. P.. Eyles. C. J.. Harrison. R. A.. 2009. Stereoscopic imaging of an Earth-impacting solar coronal mass ejection: A major milestone for the STEREO mission. Geophysical Research Letters. 36. 8. 10.1029/2009GL038021. 2009GeoRL..36.8102D . 1944-8007. free.
  17. Web site: BBC Four - The Sky at Night, The Sun in Splendour. BBC. 2019-11-02.
  18. Web site: BBC Radio 4 - BBC Inside Science, IPCC report, Cairngorms Connect project, grass pea, the Sun exhibition at Science Museum. BBC. 2019-11-02.
  19. Web site: Solar-Storm Watch. Scientific American. 2019-11-02.
  20. Web site: Scientists launch Solar Stormwatch to ask public for help in understanding the Sun. 2010-02-23. Royal Museums Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site In London. 2019-11-02.
  21. Schenkman. Lauren. 2010-12-24. Storm Chasers. Science. 330. 6012. 1729. 10.1126/science.330.6012.1729-d. 0036-8075.

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