Astrophysicist Eugene Parker died on Tuesday at the age of 94, NASA said on Wednesday. Parker used mathematical methods to successfully predict the existence of a “solar wind,” a high-velocity stream of charged particles emanating from the sun. Parker was hailed as a visionary who laid the foundations for heliophysics. Heliophysics is the study of the sun to understand its interactions with the Earth and the solar system, including space weather, and is a branch of astrophysics. NASA launched the unmanned space vehicle Parker Solar Probe in 2018, making him the first scientist to witness the launch of a probe bearing his name. “We are deeply saddened to hear that one of the greatest scientists and leaders of our time has passed away,” NASA Administrator Nielsen said in a statement. The University of Chicago, where Parker served for decades, said Parker died on Tuesday. “Parker is a legend in our field, and his view of the sun and the solar system was way ahead of his time,” said Olinto, director of the Physical Sciences Group at the University of Chicago. Parker was born in Michigan on June 10, 1927 State, received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Michigan State University, followed by a Ph.D. from Caltech, then taught at the University of Utah and, since 1955, at the University of Chicago. Mathematically predicted the temperature of the corona he set out to study, calculating that these conditions should produce a flow of supersonic charged particles leaving the sun’s surface at high speed. His theory was initially skeptical and even ridiculed by the scientific community. However, in 1962, NASA’s Mariner 2, on its journey to Venus, discovered an electrical charge known as the “solar wind”. Particle flow, proving Parker’s theory correct. Parker also proposed the theory of “nanoflares,” tiny solar flares that occur on the sun’s surface and increase the temperature of the corona. The fact that the corona is hotter than the surface of the sun could not be explained by known physics at the time. In the days that followed, Parker expanded his research into cosmic rays, galactic magnetic fields, and other areas of astrophysics, winning numerous awards, including the National Medal of Science, the Kyoto Prize, the Crafford Prize, and the American Physical Society Award for Outstanding Research Achievement. “Anyone who knows Dr. Parker knows that he was a visionary,” said Fox, director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division.
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