Yvonne Elsworth facts for kids

Yvonne Elsworth is an amazing Irish-born physicist. She is a professor at the University of Birmingham where she studies helioseismology. This is a special science that looks at the inside of the Sun by studying its vibrations, much like how scientists use earthquakes to study Earth's inside. Professor Elsworth used to lead a group called the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON). This group has been collecting data about the Sun for a very long time.

Becoming a Scientist

Yvonne Elsworth started her journey in science at the Victoria University of Manchester. In 1970, she earned her first degree in Physics. Later, in 1976, she completed her PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) at the same university. Her PhD work involved designing a special tool called a spectrometer. This tool helped her study faint light coming from the Earth's upper atmosphere, called the thermosphere.

Studying the Sun and Stars

In 1984, Professor Elsworth joined the University of Birmingham. Here, she focused on helioseismology, which is the study of the Sun's inside. She also looked at solar physics, which is all about how the Sun works, and solar variability, which means how the Sun changes over time.

Later, she started studying asteroseismology. This is like helioseismology, but for other stars! She also researched stellar physics and stellar variability, learning how other stars work and change. Her important research has received funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

Awards and Special Honors

Professor Elsworth has received many important awards for her work:

• In 2015, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists. She earned it for her pioneering work in helioseismology.
• Her research helped scientists understand the Sun's inner core, where nuclear reactions happen.
• She also helped show that the center of the Sun spins at a similar speed to its outer layers.
• Her work has also helped us understand how the Sun's outer layers change with the solar cycle.
• In 2011, she received the Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics (IoP).
• In 2020, she was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in Geophysics.

She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (FInstP) and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS). These titles show that she is a respected expert in her field.