Derek A. Lamb, Ph. D.

Lead Analyst, Solar Astrophysics

Department of Solar & Heliospheric Physics

Solar System Science & Exploration Division

Southwest Research Institute

ORCID

Google Scholar

Research Summary

I am a solar physicist whose main research focus is the evolution of magnetic fields on the surface of the Sun. I am best known for my work developing and employing algorithms to automatically track hundreds of thousands of evolving magnetic features across the solar surface. These methods have allowed my to discover that much of the magnetic field on the Sun exists in forms that are unable to be routinely detected with current instrumentation, and that the dynamo that is thought to produce magnetic fields on small scales on the Sun must operate deep within the Sun’s convection zone. I have been primarily responsible for deploying a module in the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s near-real-time data pipeline that automatically detects regions of emerging magnetic flux.

Papers

The Solar Magnetic Tracking Series

1. "Software Comparison and Recommended Practices", DeForest et al., 2007, Astrophysical Journal (pdf, ADS)
2. "The Apparent Unipolar Emergence of Quiet Sun Flux", Lamb et al., 2008, Astrophysical Journal (pdf, ADS)
3. "Apparent Unipolar Flux Emergence in High-resolution Observations", Lamb et al., 2010, Astrophysical Journal (pdf, ADS)
4. "The Death of Magnetic Features", Lamb et al., 2013, Astrophysical Journal (pdf, ADS)

Other Papers

• "Measurements of Solar Differential Rotation and Meridional Circulation from Tracking of Photospheric Magnetic Features", Lamb, 2017, Astrophysical Journal (pdf, ADS, HMI Science Nugget)
• "Spatial Nonlocality of the Small-Scale Solar Dynamo", Lamb et al., 2014, Astrophysical Journal (pdf, ADS)
• "Coronal Hole Boundaries at Small Scales. IV. SOT view. Magnetic Field Properties of Small-Scale Transient Brightenings in Coronal Holes", Huang et al., 2012, Astronomy & Astrophysics (ADS)
• "A Power-Law Distribution of Solar Magnetic Fields Over More Than Five Decades in Flux", Parnell et al., 2009, Astrophysical Journal (pdf, ADS)

Contact Information

Derek Lamb
Southwest Research Institute
1050 Walnut Street Suite 300
Boulder, CO 80302
Tel: 720-208-7207
email: MyFirstName@boulder.swri.edu