Eugene N. Parker (1927 - ) is a solar astrophysicist. He is most famous for developing, in the mid 1950s, the theory of the supersonic solar wind. In 1987, Parker proposed that the solar corona might be heated by myriad tiny "micro-flares", miniature solar flares that occur all over the surface of the Sun. He has received numerous awards for his work. In 1967, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. In 1989, he received the National Medal of Science. As of early 2005, he was still engaged in active research at the University of Chicago. 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... A solar wind is a stream of particles (mostly high-energy protons ~ 500 keV) which are ejected from the upper atmosphere of a star. ... A solar flare is a violent explosion in the Suns atmosphere with an energy equivalent to tens of millions of hydrogen bombs. ... The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in the United States is a government-established corporation supporting scientific research. ... National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science, also called the Presidential Medal of Science, is an honor given by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social... The University of Chicago is a private co-educational university located in Chicago, Illinois. ...
Parker commended new efforts to understand in greater detail the possible mechanisms of solar effects on climate.
Parker agreed with the opinion of some speakers that increasing activity in the Sun contributed to the global warming in the early part of the 20th Century, whilst changes in recent decades could not be explained by continuing solar changes.
Commenting on the current computer projections of future climate change, Parker noted that the models used for this purpose were probably not yet rich enough to capture all the essential complexities of weather and climate.
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