A member of main astronomical analysis centre, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium’s, administration workforce has been awarded the 2023 Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin medal and prize by the Institute of Physics. Professor Louise Harra obtained the accolade for her ‘quite a few and excellent achievements and contributions’ to the sphere.
Born in Lurgan, Professor Harra was recognised for her pioneering contributions to the event of utmost ultraviolet imaging and spectroscopy instrumentation for photo voltaic area missions and its utility to additional our understanding of dynamic exercise on the Solar.
Famous as a global professional in photo voltaic physics, her profession thus far contains quite a few excellent achievements and contributions to the sphere. These embody her present management of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Company’s Photo voltaic-C Photo voltaic Spectral Irradiance Monitor, a novel contribution to the mission that can result in new insights into the results of flare associated excessive ultraviolet (EUV) irradiance on the Earth’s ambiance.
Prof. Louise Harra
Her function on Photo voltaic-C follows immediately from her earlier management of the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on Hinode in 2006–2019, throughout which period as principal investigator (PI) she led a global workforce to maximise the operation and scientific return from the instrument.
On this function, she offered the scientific and technical help and management wanted to allow photo voltaic scientists inside and past the Hinode workforce to undertake scientific investigations with EIS whereas sustaining her personal extremely spectacular analysis programme.
Professor Louise Harra says, “It’s a nice honour to obtain the Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin medal and prize.
“Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, operates on the forefront of astronomical analysis, and excels in public outreach in science.
“I’m proud to be a member of the organisation’s administration workforce and hope to proceed my engagement with them sooner or later. A college journey to the Planetarium as a toddler vastly influenced my profession selection and I hope that Armagh Observatory and Planetarium will proceed to encourage future generations of STEM leaders.”
Planetarium
All through her profession, Professor Harra has made distinctive contributions to our understanding of basic questions across the processes that set off explosive vitality launch within the photo voltaic ambiance and drive photo voltaic wind formation. Her distinctive management of Hinode led to the EIS workforce successful the Royal Astronomical Society’s Group Achievement Award in 2015.
Her achievements because the PI of EIS led her to be chosen to be the co-PI of the EUV Imager (EUI) on the European House Company’s Photo voltaic Orbiter mission. Right here, she led a workforce within the growth of the vital electronics system for EUI, whereas taking part in a key function in defining the science objectives for the instrument and the mission and selling it to the worldwide group.
Her mixed contributions to the exploitation of knowledge from Hinode and work on supporting the event of EUI have been additionally recognised by the award of the British Interplanetary Society’s Sir Arthur C Clarke award in 2014.
Professor Harra has collaborated with colleagues in Japan all through her profession. These collaborations started throughout her time as Resident Scientist for the Yohkoh mission and he or she has nurtured them all through her involvement with Hinode and most not too long ago Photo voltaic-C.
The success of this collaborative analysis was recognised in 2016 by The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Basis’s Daiwa Adrian Prize for UK–Japan analysis collaboration.
Professor Harra now resides in Switzerland the place she is lively throughout the photo voltaic group, however her affect continues to be felt right here. Her collaborations with Japanese colleagues have enabled UK scientists to participate within the Photo voltaic-C mission.
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