Dynamics of the Sun and Stars : Honoring the Life and Work of Michael J. Thompson

These are the proceedings of a meeting celebrating Michael Thompson’s seminal work on solar and stellar physics, as well as his major contributions to the development of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The meeting also marked Michael J. Thompson’s untimely death in October 2018. Michael played a key role in the development of helioseismology and its application to the study of the structure and dynamics of the solar interior, and he provided a strong foundation for the extension of seismic studies for other stars. After focusing for several years on more administrative activities, he was returning to leading the seismic studies of solar interior rotation and he was deeply involved in the understanding of the dynamics of the core of stars, when his life was tragically lost.

The conference focused on dynamical aspects of the sun and stars, based on the large amount of data available on solar and stellar oscillations, and the extensive and detailed modelling now becoming feasible. Combining observations, seismic analysis, and modelling the meeting and this book serve as a fitting memorial to a close colleague and friend, much missed.

Mário Monteiro completed his PhD in 1996, at Queen Mary University of London, under the supervision of Prof. Michael J. Thompson. He is an Associated Professor in the University of Porto and Director of the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the Faculty of Sciences U.Porto. He is also a senior researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences – U.Porto, where he leads the team on Stellar Astrophysics, and is the National Delegate to the ESA’s Science Program Committee. He coordinates the national Doctoral Network for Space Sciences (PhD::SPACE).

Main research interests include the development of seismic probes of stellar physics, namely energy transport and transport processes, as well as testing the modelling and seismic characterization of stars at different evolutionary stages and of different properties (with special focus on main sequence solar-like stars). He has participated in several space missions for asteroseismology (CoRoT/CNES&ESA, Kepler/NASA, TESS/NASA), being also involved in the preparation of future space missions*

Rafael A. García completed his PhD in 1996 at the University of La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain), under the supervision of prof. Teodoro Roca Cortés and prof. Clara Régulo Rodriguez. He is a senior research scientist at the Astrophysics Division of the CEA Saclay in France where he leads the solar and stellar seismology team. He is member of the scientific council of the “Physics of the two infinities and their origins (P2IO)” Excellence Laboratory (Labex) of the Paris-Saclay University. He is the responsible at CEA of the ESA M3 PLATO space mission activities and of the GOLF instrument on board SoHO.

Main research interests include the study of internal and surface solar and stellar rotation, magnetic fields and magnetic cycles, in particular for main sequence solar-like stars and red giants. He is an expert of seismic data analysis as well as to use seismic tools to probe stellarinteriors providing strong constraints for solar and stellar modelling. He has participated in the development and/or exploitation of several space missions for helioseismology (SoHO/ESA & NASA) and for asteroseismology (CoRoT/CNES&ESA, Kepler & K2/NASA and TESS/NASA) as well as in the development of future space missions (PLATO/ESA).

Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard completed his PhD in 1978, at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge (UK), under the supervision of Prof. Douglas Gough, who also supervised Michael Thompson’s PhD studies. He is professor of astrophysics at Aarhus University, Denmark, and head of the Stellar Astrophysics Centre. In addition, he leads the Kepler and TESS Asteroseismic Consortia, and the Stellar Oscillations Network Group, aiming to establish a global network of modest-sized telescopes for asteroseismology. He has been President of Division V of the International Astronomical Union and Danish delegate, and for oneyear chair, of ESA’s Science Programme Committee.

Main research interests include helio- and asteroseismology, in particular precise modelling of stellar evolution and stellar oscillations, and the development and use of techniques for helio- and asteroseismic analyses. This includes computation of the so-called solar Model S, which has become a de facto reference in helioseismic investigations. He has contributed to the asteroseismic utilization of data from Kepler and TESS, including characterization of stars hosting exoplanetary systems. He has been strongly involved in helioseismic observing facilities, including as Co-Investigator on instruments on the SOHO spacecraft, and he is Co-Investigator on the NASA Kepler and TESS missions. He leads a work package under the PLATO Science Management effort dealing with the final characterization of  stars.

Scott W. McIntosh is the Deputy Director of National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and was Directorof the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) following Michael Thompson. Scott received his First Class Honors Degree in Mathematics and Physics and his Ph.D. in Astrophysics (in 1998) from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Scott’s research in the field of solar physics has focused on three main areas: the detection and impact of magnetohydrodynamic waves; the detection and understanding of ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet radiation; and understanding the decadal evolution of the solar plasma.
Recently research interests include the evolution of ubiquitous emission and magnetic features in the Sun’s outer atmosphere that demonstrate a clear link to the processes which drive the (quasi-)periodic appearance of sunspots. Monitoring the evolution of these features can help us understand how the Sun’s radiative, particulate and eruptive output modulate on annual, decadal with a real insight into evolution across weekly, seasonal, decadal and to the centennial scalesthat are pertinent to climate through the detection of magnetized Rossby waves in the sun’s interior.