Image: Dr Laura Hayes
Dr Laura Hayes discusses solar phenomena, going where no man (or woman) has gone before and the impact weather in space can have on the earth.
Dr Laura Hayes has always been keen on problem-solving. During her early education, maths and physics were her favourite subjects, which led her to studying theoretical physics for her undergraduate degree.
It was during her time in university that she became drawn to the study of solar physics, a subject that combined the fundamental principles of physics, with practical, real-world applications. Starting off her early career at NASA Goddard, she also worked at the European Space Agency (ESA), continuing her research into solar physics.
“Studying the sun opens up many avenues,” Hayes told SiliconRepublic.com. “We can analyse it as a star, which helps us understand other stars and the conditions in the universe, serving as a close plasma laboratory with amazing observational capabilities. Additionally, it’s crucial to understand and forecast solar eruptions to mitigate their negative impacts on our technological infrastructure.”
To infinity and beyond
“A solar flare is a massive explosion in the sun’s atmosphere caused by the release of energy from the sun’s magnetic fields that become twisted and tangled,” Hayes explained.
“When this energy is released, it creates a bright flash of light (in many wavelengths from radio to gamma rays) and often ejects a large amount of plasma into space. Solar flares can be the most powerful explosions in our solar system.”
Currently, Hayes is focused on flare observations taken from the Solar Orbiter mission, which was launched in 2020 to collect the closest ever images of the sun and answer complex questions relating to solar wind and the impact to our planet.
“Specifically, I’m working with imaging observations of solar flares using the extreme ultraviolet imager on Solar Orbiter. Typically, flare images in this wavelength are so bright that they overexpose, much like a camera can be blinded by too much light.
“However, we’ve run the instrument in a mode that allows us to take short-exposure images during flares, enabling us to capture these events in much higher resolution than before.”
She further explained this has enabled experts to see details in the flare process that were, up until now, unobservable, and this provides high-resolution data.
“By combining these observations with data from other instruments on Solar Orbiter and additional observatories, we are making significant breakthroughs in understanding the rapid dynamics of solar flare energy release.”
For Hayes, in particular the early days of working with data from the Solar Orbiter has been incredibly exciting, as she noted that just around the time she joined the ESA in 2021, the sun’s activity began ‘ramping up’. The unique route of the Solar Orbiter offered a view of the sun never before achieved, enabling space scientists to observe solar phenomena in an entirely new way and also giving Hayes an idea of how large-scale operations, such as this one, unfold.
Real-world impact
“Why it’s important to study [solar flares] is because they can significantly affect space weather, which has real impacts on Earth,” said Hayes. “For example, solar flares can disrupt GPS systems, communication satellites and power grids. Understanding flares is essential for predicting when these disruptions might happen and for protecting our technology.”
She noted, in addition to the risks, there is an intrinsic beauty to solar eruptions, as they are known to cause stunning natural phenomena, such as the Northern lights, which were recently viewable in Ireland, due to increased sun activity.
Like the Northern lights, for Hayes, the future of heliophysics is bright, as she believes with advanced technologies and missions such as the Solar Orbiter generating unprecedented opportunities for research, “we’re getting close to answering some of the biggest questions in solar physics”.
“In the coming years, I expect we’ll see even more advanced space-based observatories, as well as an increased use of data processing and machine learning approaches to help us make sense of the massive amounts of data these missions generate.”
Having recently taken up a position at the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, Hayes is excited about Ireland’s growing role in the space industry, noting the country is home to leading facilities such as the LOFAR radio telescope in Birr and has contributed greatly to international space missions.
“The future is bright for space science in Ireland, and I think if we increase investment in education and research, and greater participation in major missions through ESA, Ireland can continue to play a role in the future of space research.
“I’m excited to see how Ireland’s presence in the space sector will continue to grow, and I look forward to coming back to Ireland and being part of that journey.”
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