Positions

Research Areas research areas

Overview

  • My principal research interest is measuring energetic particle radiation in space. This includes Galactic cosmic rays which fill the Galaxy and are probably accelerated by supernovae shocks; Solar energetic particles which are accelerated by events on the Sun and by shocks in interplanetary space; and the anomalous cosmic rays, which are believed to be interstellar neutral atoms that drift into the Solar System, become ionized and are carried by the Solar wind out to the termination shock (a shock formed where the Solar wind becomes sub-sonic) where they undergo acceleration.

    A non-research interest is nuclear science, technology and policy. I teach an Inquiry Course for non-majors on the subject, “Myths and Misconceptions about Nuclear Science.”

    I am deeply involved in the Energetic Heavy Ion Sensor (EHIS) for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) Program (https://www.goes-r.gov/spacesegment/seiss.html). EHIS instruments are now flying on GOES-16 and GOES-17 with two more waiting for launch (GOES-T and -U).

    Much of my research involves the development of new and innovative instrumentation. The exigencies of space flight mean that instruments have to be very low in mass and power usage, and be extremely reliable. New instrument concepts include my Angle Detecting Inclined Sensors (ADIS) system. The EHIS are ADIS instruments. Other instrument development projects include the Positron Identification by Coincident Annihilation Photons (PICAP) and, more recently, a project to develop a synthetic diamond Cherenkov detector.

    Scientifically, most of my work has been detailed measurements of the isotopic and elemental composition of Galactic cosmic rays using data from our High Energy Telescope (HET), on the Ulysses spacecraft. I have also been involved in the study of cosmic ray modulation by the Solar wind, particularly the three dimensional structure of the Heliosphere, again mainly using data from Ulysses.

    • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title
    2020 The Energetic Particle Detector: Energetic particle instrument suite for the Solar Orbiter mission.  Astronomy and Astrophysics: a European journal.  642:A7-A7. 2020
    2019 A novel synthetic diamond Cherenkov radiator for measuring space radiation.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  942:162338-162338. 2019
    2016 Accelerator test of an improved Angle Detecting Inclined Sensor (ADIS) prototype with beams of Kr-78 and fragments.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  837:11-15. 2016
    2015 Specification, Design, and Calibration of the Space Weather Suite of Instruments on the NOAA GOES-R Program Spacecraft.  IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science.  62:2776-2783. 2015
    2014 OBSERVATION OF HIGH IRON CHARGE STATES AT LOW ENERGIES IN SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS.  The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics.  785:26-26. 2014
    2008 Design concept and modeling of a new Positron Identification by Coincident Annihilation Photons (PICAP) system.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  593:431-439. 2008
    2008 Cosmic ray transport and production in the Galaxy: A stochastic propagation simulation approach.  The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics.  681:1334-1340. 2008
    2007 Spallation residues in the reaction Fe-56+p at 0.3A, 0.5A, 0.75A, 1.0A, and 1.5A GeV.  Physical Review C: Nuclear Physics.  75:044603. 2007
    2007 Accelerator test of an angle detecting inclined sensor (ADIS) prototype with beams of Ca-48 and fragments.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  570:399-413. 2007
    2005 Energetic particle observations from the Ulysses COSPIN instruments obtained during the October-November 2003 events.  Journal of Geophysical Research.  110. 2005
    2005 Applications of a phoswich-based detector for fast (similar to 1-10 MeV) solar neutrons for missions to the inner heliosphere.  Advances in Space Research.  36:1432-1438. 2005
    2003 Ulysses COSPIN observations of cosmic rays and solar energetic particles from the South Pole to the North Pole of the Sun during solar maximum.  Annales Geophysicae: atmospheres, hydrospheres and space sciences.  21:1217-1228. 2003
    2001 Cosmic-ray composition as observed by Ulysses.  Space Science Reviews.  99:41-50. 2001
    2001 The angle detecting inclined sensors (ADIS) system: measuring particle angles of incidence without position sensing detectors.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  457:220-229. 2001
    2001 Cosmic ray isotopic composition studies with the Ulysses high energy telescope: Implications for origin and distribution in the galaxy.  Space Science Reviews.  97:337-341. 2001
    1998 The cosmic-ray radioactive nuclide Cl-36 and its propagation in the galaxy.  The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics.  509:L97-L100. 1998
    1998 Galactic cosmic-ray confinement time: Ulysses High Energy Telescope measurements of the secondary radionuclide Be-10.  The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics.  501:L59-L62. 1998
    1998 Cosmic-ray Al-26 and its decay in the galaxy.  The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics.  497:L85-L88. 1998
    1998 beta(+) decay partial half-life of Mn-54 and cosmic ray chronometry.  Physical Review Letters.  80:2085-2088. 1998
    1997 Isotopic abundances of Fe and Ni in Galactic cosmic-ray sources.  The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics.  475:L61-L64. 1997
    1996 Observations of galactic cosmic rays and the anomalous helium during Ulysses passage from the south to the north solar pole.  Astronomy and Astrophysics: a European journal.  316:547-554. 1996
    1996 Effects of an apparent space dust impact on a position sensing solid state detector aboard the Ulysses spacecraft.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  378:526-528. 1996
    1995 THE LATITUDE GRADIENTS OF GALACTIC COSMIC-RAY AND ANOMALOUS HELIUM FLUXES MEASURED ON ULYSSES FROM THE SUNS SOUTH POLAR-REGION TO THE EQUATOR.  Geophysical Research Letters.  22:3337-3340. 1995
    1995 Cosmic ray and solar particle investigations over the South polar regions of the sun..  Science.  268:1019-1023. 1995
    1995 COSMIC-RAY MODULATION IN THE 3-D HELIOSPHERE.  Space Science Reviews.  72:367-378. 1995
    1992 THE ULYSSES COSMIC-RAY AND SOLAR PARTICLE INVESTIGATION.  Astronomy & astrophysics. Supplement series.  92:365-399. 1992
    1990 THE SCINTILLATING OPTICAL FIBER ISOTOPE EXPERIMENT - BEVALAC CALIBRATIONS OF TEST MODELS.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  294:335-350. 1990
    1989 SCINTILLATING OPTICAL FIBER TRAJECTORY DETECTORS.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  276:347-358. 1989
    1986 A SCINTILLATING OPTICAL FIBER TRACK IMAGING DETECTOR.  Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.  251:402-406. 1986

    Conference Paper

    Year Title
    2016 GOES-R Space Environment In-Situ Suite: Instruments overview, calibration results, and data processing algorithms, and expected on-orbit performance.  Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. 988118-988118-15. 2016
    2010 Measuring Space Radiation with ADIS Instruments.  Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. 781704-781704-12. 2010
    2005 Accelerator tests of angle detecting inclined sensor (ADIS) prototypes with beams of Ca-48 and fragments.  Proceedings of the 29th International Cosmic Ray Conference, Vol 2: SH3. 481-484. 2005
    2005 New development for galactic cosmic-ray propagation.  Proceedings of the 29th International Cosmic Ray Conference, Vol 3: OG1. 213-216. 2005
    2005 Solar energetic particles from the October/November 2003 events observed by the Ulysses COSPIN instruments near 5 AU.  PROCEEDINGS OF THE 29TH INTERNATIONAL COSMIC RAY CONFERENCE VOL 1: SH1 AND SH2. 95-98. 2005
    2002 Disappearance of shell effects and persistence of an even-odd staggering in the fragment production in nuclear reactions at relativistic energies.  Acta Physica Hungarica, Series A: Heavy Ion Physics. 85-91. 2002
    2000 The gamma-ray and cosmic ray connection: Ulysses HET secondary radioisotope measurements and cosmic ray propagation.  AIP Conference Proceedings. 296-300. 2000
    1996 A novel Cherenkov-fiber optic detector for the study of cosmic ray nuclei including Zn to Zr.  Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. 582-593. 1996
    1995 The Ulysses cosmic ray isotope experiment: Isotopic abundances of Fe and Ni from high resolution measurements.  24TH INTERNATIONAL COSMIC RAY CONFERENCE, VOL 2. 602-605. 1995
    1993 THE ULYSSES COSMIC RAY ISOTOPE EXPERIMENT .1. SOURCE ABUNDANCES OF C, N AND O DERIVED FROM HIGH RESOLUTION MEASUREMENTS.  23RD INTERNATIONAL COSMIC RAY CONFERENCE, VOL 1. 547-550. 1993
    1993 THE ULYSSES COSMIC RAY ISOTOPE EXPERIMENT .2. SOURCE ABUNDANCES OF NE, MG AND SI DERIVED FROM HIGH RESOLUTION MEASUREMENTS.  23RD INTERNATIONAL COSMIC RAY CONFERENCE, VOL 1. 559-562. 1993

    Patent

    Year Title
    Inductor Alternators

    Teaching Activities

  • Classical Mechanics Taught course 2022
  • General Physics I Recitation Taught course 2022
  • General Physics I Taught course 2021
  • General Physics I Taught course 2020
  • General Physics I Taught course 2020
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2019
  • Classical Mechanics Taught course 2018
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2018
  • General Physics II Recitation Taught course 2018
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2018
  • Classical Mechanics Taught course 2017
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2017
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2017
  • Classical Mechanics Taught course 2016
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2016
  • General Physics II Recitation Taught course 2016
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2016
  • Hon/Myths & Misctn Nuclear Sci Taught course 2016
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2015
  • Doctoral Research Taught course 2015
  • Experimental Physics I Taught course 2015

    • Education And Training

    Full Name

  • James Connell