Sami Solanki
| Sami K. Solanki | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1958 Karachi, Pakistan |
| Residence | Göttingen, Germany |
| Fields | Astronomy, Solar physics |
| Institutions | Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research |
| Known for | Solar and heliospheric physics, Solar magnetism, Sun-Earth relations and physics of the solar atmosphere |
Sami Khan Solanki (born 1958 in Karachi, Pakistan) is the former Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Director of the Sun-Heliosphere Department of MPS, a scientific member of the Max Planck Society,[1][2] 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.[3]
Solanki is also an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Astronomy at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich,[4] and (2) Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics at the Braunschweig University of Technology in Germany. In Addition, he is a Distinguished Professor at the Kyung Hee University in Korea.
He is the editor-in-chief of the Living Reviews in Solar Physics, 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 also held these positions: (1) Vice Chairman and member of the Senate Committee of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR); (2) Member Appointment Committee and Committee of Three of the DLR; (3) Member Extraterrestrial Program Committee of the DLR; (4) Science Advisory Committee of the High Altitude Observatory, Boulder/USA; (5) Science Advisory Board at the Istituto Ricerche Solari (IRSOL), Locarno/Switzerland;[5] and has contributed to the following space/balloon projects:
Contents |
[edit] Academic career
- 1987 Doctorate from the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich[7]
- 1987–1989 Post doc in St. Andrews, Scotland.
- 1992 Habilitation
- 1998 Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oulu in Finland
- 1999 Minnaert guest professor at the University of Utrecht
- 1999 Director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
[edit] Awards and honours
- 2001 Honorary professor at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule
- 2003 Honorary professor at the Technische Universität Braunschweig
- 2006 Associateship of the Royal Astronomical Society[8]
[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 skeptical 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" (PDF), Nature 431 (7012): 1084–1087, Bibcode 2004Natur.431.1084S, doi:10.1038/nature02995, PMID 15510145, http://cc.oulu.fi/%7Eusoskin/personal/nature02995.pdf
- Solanki, Sami K.; Haugan, Mark P. (1996), "New constraints on gravity-induced birefringence", Physical Review 53 (2): 997–1000, doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.53.997
- Solanki, Sami K.; Krivova, Natalia A. (2003), "Can solar variability explain global warming since 1970?" (PDF), Journal of Geophysical Research 108 (A5): 7.1–7.8, Bibcode 2003JGRA..108.1200S, 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 1940s", Physical Review Letters 91 (21): 211101, arXiv:astro-ph/0310823, Bibcode 2003PhRvL..91u1101U, doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.211101
- Solanki, Sami K. (1993), "Small-scale solar magnetic fields: An overview", Space Science Reviews 63 (1–2): 1–188, Bibcode 1993SSRv...63....1S, doi:10.1007/BF00749277
- Schuessler, M.; Solanki, Sami K. (1992), "Why rapid rotators have polar spots", Astronomy and Astrophysics 264 (1): L13–L16, Bibcode 1992A&A...264L..13S
- Solanki, Sami K. (1986), "Velocities in solar magnetic fluxtubes", Astronomy and Astrophysics 168 (1–2): 311–329, Bibcode 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, Bibcode 1992A&A...264L..13S
[edit] References
- ^ Organizational profile for the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
- ^ Organizational chart for the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
- ^ Staff page for the International Max Planck Research School on Physical Processes in the Solar System and Beyond
- ^ Solanki's staff page at the ETHZ
- ^ Organizational Profile at the Max Planck Society website
- ^ 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.
- ^ short bio
- ^ Notice of associateship of the Royal Astronomical Society
- ^ Leidig, Michael; Roya Nikkhah (2004-07-18). "The truth about global warming - it's the Sun that's to blame". Telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3325679/The-truth-about-global-warming-its-the-Sun-thats-to-blame.html. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
- ^ Leidig, Michael (2004-07-18). "Hotter-burning sun warming the planet". The Washington Times. http://www.washtimes.com/world/20040718-115714-6334r.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
- ^ "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). Max Planck Society. 2004-08-02. http://www.mpg.de/english/illustrationsDocumentation/documentation/pressReleases/2004/pressRelease20040802/. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
- ^ Complete list of publications
[edit] External links
- Personal webpage at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
- How Strongly Does the Sun Influence the Global Climate? Press Release August 4, 2004 by the Max Planck Institute
- Sonne und Treibhausgase heizen ein (en:The Sun and Greenhousegases warm up) Press release February 19, 1998 by the ETHZ
- Sun Heliosphere Department [1]
- The sun is more active now than over the last 8000 years NASA press release from 2004
- "Who's Who – Sami Khan Solanki". ETHZ. 2006-04-24. http://fm-eth.ethz.ch/eth/peoplefinder/FMPro?-db=whoiswho.fp5&-lay=html&-format=who_detail_de.html&who_fk_legacy=1641&-find.
- Solanki, Sami K. (2002), "Solar variability and climate change: is there a link?", Astronomy & Geophysics 43 (5): 5.09–5.13, doi:10.1046/j.1468-4004.2002.43509.x, http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/servlet/useragent?func=synergy&synergyAction=showFullText&doi=10.1046/j.1468-4004.2002.43509.x&cookieSet=1
