Alexandra L. Brosius

Student researcher in the Virtual Planetary Laboratory at NASA Goddard

605 Walker Building
University Park, PA 16802

Email: avb5903@psu.edu

Websites:

https://alexandrabrosius.wixsite.com/aboutme
http://depts.washington.edu/naivpl/content/about-us-0
https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/600/seec/index.html

Education:

Ph.D. Candidate in Atmospheric Science, Pennsylvania State University (2018-present)
M.S. in Atmospheric Science, Pennsylvania State University (2018)
B.Sc. in Chemistry*, Agnes Scott College (2014, magna cum laude)
*American Chemical Society

Research Specialties:

Atmospheric/Air Chemistry:
Atmospheric Dynamics:: Solar wind plasma waves in the Venusian ionosphere

Biography:

I study ion escape from Venus, which lacks an intrinsic magnetic field. Solar radiation ionizes molecules near the top of the atmosphere. The Venusian ion environment and the magnetized solar wind both generate electric fields, which can accelerate ions away from the planet. My work addresses the energy deposition associated with localized plasma wave transport across the solar wind shock region into Venus's atmosphere.