Unlocking the secrets of solar flares
Safeguarding technology on Earth and exploring the physics of our closest star.
Dr Laura Hayes, a solar physicist at the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS), is at the forefront of research into the area of solar flares.
These explosive events occur when magnetic energy on the sun is suddenly released, accelerating charged particles to extreme speeds and emitting powerful bursts of radiation.
Solar flares can disrupt telecommunications systems, damage satellites, and even interfere with power grids here on Earth. Understanding them is not just a matter of scientific curiosity, but of practical importance for our connected world.
The sun offers us a natural laboratory in the sky, where we can observe extreme astrophysical and plasma conditions
Data from cutting-edge space missions
Supported by funding from the Royal Society-Research Ireland Fellowship, a UK–Ireland research partnership, Dr Hayes is using data from cutting-edge space missions such as the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter to study these events up close. Her goal is to deepen our understanding of how solar flares form and to pave the way for accurate forecasting that could help mitigate their potential impact on Earth.
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, where she completed her PhD in Astrophysics, Dr Hayes combines expertise in plasma physics and astrophysics with advanced satellite observations. Her work not only contributes to safeguarding technology on Earth, but also opens new opportunities for exploring the physics of our closest star.