Eric Priest facts for kids

Eric Ronald Priest (born 7 November 1943) is a very important scientist. He is an Emeritus Professor at St Andrews University in Scotland. This means he used to teach there full-time but now focuses on research.

Studying the Sun

Eric Priest is an expert in something called solar magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). This is a big word for studying how the Sun's powerful magnetic fields interact with its super-hot gas. This gas is called plasma. He looks at how these magnetic fields and plasma work together.

Solar Mysteries

As a mathematician, he uses math to understand the Sun. He investigates many solar mysteries. These include sunspots, which are dark, cooler areas on the Sun. He also studies how the Sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona, gets super hot. The corona can reach millions of degrees Celsius!

He also researches magnetic reconnection. This is when the Sun's magnetic field lines break and reconnect. This process releases huge amounts of energy. It helps explain things like solar flares. Solar flares are giant explosions on the Sun. He also studies magnetic structures and how waves travel through the Sun.

How Scientists Study the Sun

Professor Priest uses mathematical models to understand these events. He also uses real data from space satellites. These satellites include SoHO, Yohkoh, and TRACE. He also uses data from ground-based observatories. These are places like Kitt Peak and Big Bear.

Awards and Recognition

In 2000, he was a special lecturer at Harvard University. He has won many awards for his work. In 2002, he received the Hale Prize. This is a big award from the American Astronomical Society. In the same year, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.

Many scientists see him as a leader in solar physics. He has shown how important magnetic reconnection is. He believes it helps explain many things that happen on the Sun. This includes the mystery of how the solar corona gets so hot.

Later Career

Eric Priest stopped full-time teaching in 2010. But he still works on research. In 2011, he received a special grant. This allowed him to continue his important studies. He is still an active researcher at St Andrews University.

In 2020, he won another major award. It was the ESPD Senior Prize from the European Physical Society. He received it for his leadership in the field. He also won it for his important discoveries. These discoveries are about magnetic reconnection and coronal heating on the Sun.

Awards and Honors

• James Arthur Prize Lecturer at Harvard University (2000)
• George Ellery Hale Prize of the American Astronomical Society (2002)
• Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2002
• Gold Medal for Astrophysics of the Royal Astronomical Society (2009)
• Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Medal and Prize (2009)
• Fellow of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
• Doctor of Science honoris causa, University of St Andrews (2013)