Mark L. Adrian headshot
Mark L. Adrian
Department of Physics
Associate Research Professor

Research Areas: Heliophysics/Space Plasma Physics

Office: Leach Science Center 2126

Address: Leach Science Center
380 Duncan Drive

Phone: (334) 844-4223

Email: Mark.L.Adrian@auburn.edu


Education
Ph.D., Physics, The University of Alabama, Huntsville
2000
M.S., Physics, The University of Iowa
1993
B.S., Physics, The University of Iowa
1989


Professional Employment
Associate Research Professor, Auburn University
2022-Present
Astrophysicist, Laboratory for Geospace Physics,Heliophysics Science Division, NASA/GSFC
2004-2021
Research Scientist, The University of Alabama, Huntsville
2002-2004
Research Associate, National Research Council, NASA/MSFC
2000-2002


Research and Teaching Interests

Having previously served as a civil servant in National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Dr. Adrian has broad, expansive experience in the development of independent research activities, student mentoring and training, as well as team–building, both from the perspective fostering scientific research and from the standpoint of scientific mission development and management.  Dr. Adrian maintains a wide-expanse of research interests including: (i) geophysical, space-based, and planetary plasma systems; and (ii) the development of measurement/observation hardware and techniques required to study these diverse environments. 

 Dr. Adrian’s research/development efforts include:

 

  • Comprehensive study of the low-energy plasma environs of Earth’s coupled thermospheric-ionospheric-plasmasphere-magnetospheric (TIM) system.
    • Understanding the heating of electron-ion plasmas at high-latitudes leading to ionospheric outflows.
    • Study of the dynamics of Earth’s plasmasphere using remote, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imaging of the charged helium ions (He+) content of the plasmasphere.
    • Development of the Thermal Electron Capped Hemisphere Spectrometer (TECHS), and its corresponding ion version TICHS, a miniaturized charged-particle spectrometer ideal for use on CubeSats and other small, resource-limited spacecraft.
    • Development of the Concentration vs. Height for an Orbiting Electromagnetic Sounder (ECHOES), a miniaturize CubeSat-compatible ionospheric sounder designed for three-dimensional observation of Earth’s ionosphere.
    • Development of the CubeSat-compatible Compact Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (C-EUVI) for implementation on magnetospheric, planetary and solar imaging missions.

 

  • Study of the chemical and charged-state composition of the solar wind, as well as its global dynamics and implications for space weather.
    • Comprehensive study of solar wind electron turbulence and its implications for solar wind heating and dynamics.
    • Study of solar wind chemical and isotopic composition as a function of stellar phase and rotation and their associated impact on solar wind dynamics.
    • Development of the Helical Ion Path Spectrometer (HIPS) as a next generation solar wind composition spectrometer to provide unprecedented high-time, high-mass resolved measurements of the chemical and isotopic composition of the solar wind and interstellar matter.

 

  • Comprehensive study of the distribution of dust in the solar system.
    • Develop comprehensive maps of the observed distribution 0.10-µm ≤ diameter ≤ 10.0-µm of dust at ~1AU using all available data from the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), and Wind missions.
    • Develop a next generation, three-dimensional electromagnetic model of charged-dust grain orbital dynamics as a predictive tool.
    • Develop new probability-based predictive dust hazard models as a tool to mitigate risk to manned and unmanned space missions.

 

  • Comprehensive study of lightning-related phenomena.
    • Comprehensive study of the charged-particle and fields environment above convective thunderstorms responsible for the generation of red sprites, blue jets, and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs).
    • Study of the propagation of lightning-generated whistler waves through the ionospheric waveguide and loss to the inner magnetosphere.
    • Development of stratospheric balloon-based instrument to study the mid-altitude low-energy electron-ion plasma and electromagnetic field origins of red sprites.


Selected Publications

  1. Lee, S.H., D.G. Sibeck, Y. Lin, Z. Guo, M.L. Adrian, M.V.D. Silveria, I.J. Cohen, B.H. Mauk, B.L. Giles, R.B. Torbert, C.T. Russell, H. Wei, J.L. Burch, G. Vichare, and A.K. Sinha (2020), Characteristic of escaping magnetospheric ions associated with magnetic field fluctuations, J. Geophys. Res., Space Physics, 125(4), e27377 doi: 10.1029/2019JA027337.   
  2. Adrian, M.L., A.F. Viñas, P.S. Moya, and D.E. Wendel (2016), Solar wind magnetic fluctuations and electron non-thermal temperature anisotropy: Survey of Wind-SWE-VEIS observations, ApJ, 833(1), doi:10.3847/1538-4357/833/1/49.

 

  1. Pollock, C., T. Moore, A. Jacques, J. Burch, U. Gliese, Y. Sato, T. Omoto, L. Avanov, A. Barrie, V. Coffey, J. Dorelli, D. Gershman, B. Giles, T. Rosnack, C. Salo, S. Yokota, M.L. Adrian, C. Aoustin, C. Auletti, S. Aung, et al. (2016), Fast Plasma Investigation for Magnetospheric Multiscale, Space Sci. Rev., 199(1–4), pp. 331–406, doi: 10.1007/s11214-016-0245-4.

 

  1. Wendel, D.E., M. Hesse, M.L. Adrian, N. Bessho, and M.M. Kuznetsova (2016), Nongyrotropic electrons in guide field reconnection, Phys. Plasmas, 23(2), 022114, doi: 10.1063/1.4942031.

 

  1. Adrian, M.L., S.F. Fung, D.L. Gallagher, and D.L. Green (2015), Whistlers observed outside the plasmasphere: Correlation to plasmaspheric/plasmapause features, Geophys. Res., Space Physics, 120(9), pp. 7585–7614, doi: 10.1002/2014JA020811.

 

  1. Boardsen S. A., M.L. Adrian, R. Pfaff, and J.D. Menietti (2014), Inner magnetospheric electron temperature and spacecraft potential estimated from concurrent Polar upper hybrid frequency and relative potential measurements, J. Geophys. Res., 119(A10), Space Physics, pp. 8046–8062, doi: 10.1002/2014JA019852.

 

  1. Benson, R.F., A.F. Viñas, V.A. Osherovich, A. Vladimir, J. Fainberg, C.M. Purser, M.L. Adrian, I.A. Galkin, and B.W. Reinisch (2013), Magnetospheric electron-velocity-distribution function information from wave observations, J. Geophys. Res., 118(A8), Space Physics, pp. 5039–5049, doi: 10.1002/jgra.50459.

 

  1. Wendel, D.E., and M.L. Adrian (2013), Current structure and nonideal behavior at magnetic null points in the turbulent magnetosheath, J. Geophys. Res., 118(A4), Space Physics, pp. 1571–1588, doi: 10.1002/jgra50234.






Last updated: 07/19/2022