果冻影院

Dr Dunn was awarded the 2022 Henry Moseley Medal and Prize, which recognises 鈥渆xceptional early-career contributions to experimental physics鈥�.

The award citation noted his discovery of X-rays coming from Uranus 鈥� the first time such an emission has been detected 鈥� as well as his work identifying the fundamental processes that cause Jupiter to produce X-ray aurorae (aurorae are emissions of light from a planet鈥檚 polar regions and on Earth they are known as the northern lights).聽

The citation said the findings were 鈥渆xtremely novel and provide a paradigm-shifting body of work, exceptional for [Dr Dunn鈥檚] early career stage鈥�.

It also noted Dr Dunn鈥檚 management of the ORBYTS programme, which creates long-term partnerships between scientists and schools, providing school students with relatable science role models and empowering them to conduct their own original space research projects.聽

During his time leading the programme, it has grown from two to 35 scientist-school partnerships across multiple universities and regions, and has had a dramatic impact in increasing uptake of physics by students from historically excluded groups. (For instance, at one school it helped to double the number of girls studying physics A- and AS-levels.) It has also enabled more than 200 school students, from more than 50 ethnic backgrounds, to author published scientific papers.

In a paper published in Science Advances last year, Dr Dunn and colleagues solved a 40-year-old mystery over how Jupiter produced its spectacular bursts of X-rays.聽

They found that the X-ray flares are triggered by periodic vibrations of Jupiter鈥檚 magnetic field lines. These vibrations create waves of plasma (ionised gas) that send heavy ion particles 鈥渟urfing鈥� along magnetic field lines until they smash into the planet鈥檚 atmosphere, releasing energy in the form of X-rays.

To facilitate this work, Dr Dunn led successful proposals that won more Jupiter X-ray observing time over five years than had cumulatively been conducted in the preceding 40 years, exceeding 700 hours of observing time on flagship ESA and NASA space telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope, XMM-Newton telescope and Chandra X-ray observatory.聽

鈥淟everaging this rich dataset,鈥� the medal citation said, 鈥淸Dr] Dunn has produced transformational science, addressing fundamental questions and leading to revolutionary discoveries.鈥�

Through ORBYTS, Dr Dunn has supported planning and implementation of 100-plus research-with-schools programmes. ORBYTS鈥� impact is reflected in it winning the 2021 Neon Award for Widening Access Initiative, the 2022 European Research Council 鈥淚nspire鈥� award and the Ogden Trust鈥檚 first Collaborative Project funding, which will enable these transformational opportunities for many more school students, researchers and universities.

The Institute of Physics (IOP) is the professional body and learned society for physics, and the leading body for practising physicists, in the UK and Ireland. Congratulating this year鈥檚 Award winners, Institute of Physics President, Professor Sheila Rowan, said: 鈥淥n behalf of the Institute of Physics, I warmly congratulate all of this year鈥檚 Award winners.

鈥淓ach and every one of them has made a significant and positive impact in their profession, whether as a researcher, teacher, industrialist, technician or apprentice.

鈥淩ecent events have underlined the absolute necessity to encourage and reward our scientists and those who teach and encourage future generations. We rely on their dedication and innovation to improve many aspects of the lives of individuals and of our wider society."

Links

• 果冻影院 News: 40-year mystery over Jupiter鈥檚 X-ray aurora solved
• 果冻影院 News: X-rays from Uranus detected for the first time
• 果冻影院 Physics and Astronomy
• 果冻影院 Mathematical & Physical Sciences

Image

• Dr William Dunn

Media contact

Mark Greaves
T: +44 (0)7990 675947
E: m.greaves [at] ucl.ac.uk