Contact Information
About Us
The Solar Astrophysics Research Group at Rice University uses theory, computational models, observational data analysis, and machine learning to investigate solar, space, and astrophysical plasma environments spanning solar and stellar coronae and winds, star - planet interactions, and ultracold laboratory plasma.
Our research interests in these contexts include magneto-fluid and kinetic physics, energy transport and dissipation, non-thermal and non-equilibrium processes, turbulence, plasma waves and shocks, and magnetic reconnection.
We develop and build our own numerical and forward modeling tools to facilitate our research projects.
News
- 2025 (June) - Stephen Bradshaw will present a talk titled "Application of a multi-species NLTE modeling framework to impulsive coronal heating and interpreting emission spectra" at the joint Hinode 18 - IRIS 16 conference hosted by University College London.
- 2025 (March) - Greg Syzpko presented a talk titled "Embedding multi-species probes in MHD simulations of the Sun's corona" at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) in Fort Worth, TX.
- 2025 (January) - The Rice Space Institute is seeking applications for two postdoctoral positions in solar, space, or astrophysics. (Extended due date for applications: 02/15/2025.)
- 2025 (January) - Ava Thienel attended the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and presented a poster "Comparing Emission Measure Distributions and Time Lags to Understand Coronal Heating Frequency."
- 2024 (April) - Stephen Bradshaw interviewed on-camera for BBC Studios / Channel 5 documentary "Secrets of the Sun".
- 2024 (April) - Stephen Bradshaw presented a talk "Historical and Contemporary Observations of the Solar Corona" at the Rice University Wiess School of Natural Sciences Solar Eclipse Event in Bandera, TX.
- 2024 (March) - David Alexander chosen to serve on Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium (TARSEC).
- 2024 (January) - Rice Solar Astrophysics Group awarded NASA Heliophysics Supporting Research Grant "How Are Active Region Properties and Heating Connected?" (Co-I Bradshaw).
- 2024 (January) - Rice Solar Astrophysics Group awarded NASA Heliophysics Supporting Research Grant "Turbulence in the Active Sun" (Co-I Bradshaw).
- 2023 (August) - Greg Syzpko awarded NASA FINESST Graduate Student Fellowship.
- 2022 (March) - Rice Solar Astrophysics Group awarded NASA Heliophysics Guest Investigator Grant "Probing Flare-Generated Slow-Mode Waves in Coronal Loops Detected by SDO/AIA" (Co-I Bradshaw).
- 2022 (February) - Rice Solar Astrophysics Group awarded NASA Heliophysics Supporting Research Grant "Investigating the Influence of Coronal Magnetic Geometry on the Acceleration of the Solar Wind" (Co-I Bradshaw).
Recent Research Highlights
How Are Active Region Properties and Heating Connected?
Probing Flare-Generated Slow-Mode Waves in Coronal Loops Detected by SDO/AIA
Investigating the Influence of Coronal Magnetic Geometry on the Acceleration of the Solar Wind
See more research »