Eugene Parker
American astronomer (1927-2022) · United States · On the map · Scientists · Died at 94
Eugene Newman Parker was an American solar and plasma physicist, often called the "father" and "founder" of heliophysics.
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A typical day, 30 days to 20 June 2026
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About this person
In 1958, he proposed the existence of the solar wind and predicted that the magnetic field in the outer Solar System would be in the shape of a Parker spiral - predictions initially rejected by reviewers and scientific community, but quickly confirmed by the Mariner 2 spacecraft in 1962. Multiple phenomena in solar and plasma physics bear his name, including the Parker instability, Parker equation, Sweet-Parker model of magnetic reconnection, Parker limit on magnetic monopoles, and Parker theorem. In 1988, he proposed that nanoflares could explain the coronal heating problem, a theory that remains a leading candidate.
The same award as Eugene
Edward WittenBoth received APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research
James A. Van AllenBoth received John Adam Fleming Medal
Raymond Davis Jr.Both received George Ellery Hale Prize
Lyman SpitzerBoth received James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics
Rashid SunyaevBoth received Henry Norris Russell LectureshipMartin SchwarzschildBoth received Henry Norris Russell Lectureship