Clare Watt

Clare Watt is a British space scientist and is currently Professor of Space Physics at the Northumbria University.[1] She was elected vice-president of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2022[2] and has served on the editorial board of Oxford University Press's RAS Techniques and Instruments journal since 2021.[3]

Background and scientific career

Watt studied for a BSc in Maths and Physics at the University of Aberdeen from 1994 to 1998. She then obtained a PhD in space plasma physics from St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 2002, working closely with the British Antarctic Survey. Moving to University of Alberta in Canada,[4] she focussed on numerical modelling of auroral electrons. In 2013 she returned to the UK as a lecturer in Space Physics at the University of Reading, focussing on modelling of the Earth's radiation belts. Watt moved to Northumbria University in 2020, to take up the role of Professor of Space Physics.[1]

Research interests

Watt's primary research interest is kinetic plasma physics, particularly as applied to space environments.[5] Her focus is on numerical modelling of wave-particle interactions which are central to the energisation or scattering of electrons in both the Earth's auroral regions[6] and the radiation belts,[7] which are a major space weather concern.[8]

Awards and honours

2022 Elected Vice-president of the Royal Astronomical Society[2]

2021 co-chair of the Physical Sciences Working group that advises the Human and Robotic Exploration Directorate of the European Space Agency[1]

2021 Member of the Science Programme Advisory Committee to the UK Space Agency[1]

2021 editorial board for RAS Techniques and Instruments[3]

2017 Elected councillor and trustee of the Royal Astronomical Society[9]

2016 Selected to serve on the STFC Astronomy Grants Panel[1]

2007 Nominated reporter for International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy for Auroral Phenomenon[10]

2005 European Geosciences Union "Young Talent in Geosciences" award

2003 Royal Astronomical Society thesis award

References
  1. "Prof Clare Watt". www.northumbria.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  2. "Prof. Clare Watt - VP, G | The Royal Astronomical Society". ras.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  3. "Editorial Board | RAS Techniques and Instruments | Oxford Academic". Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  4. "Study of lunar dust storms and Mars aurorae could influence spacecraft design". www.ualberta.ca. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  5. "Clare Watt". scholar.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  6. Watt, Clare E. J.; Rankin, Robert (2009-01-26). "Electron Trapping in Shear Alfv\'en Waves that Power the Aurora" (PDF). Physical Review Letters. 102 (4): 045002. Bibcode:2009PhRvL.102d5002W. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.045002. PMID 19257429. S2CID 14424139.
  7. Watt, Clare E. J.; Rae, I. J.; Murphy, K. R.; Anekallu, C.; Bentley, S. N.; Forsyth, C. (September 2017). "The parameterization of wave-particle interactions in the Outer Radiation Belt: Parameterization of WPI". Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. 122 (9): 9545–9551. doi:10.1002/2017JA024339.
  8. "Your World, Your Science". Pint of Science. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  9. Simion @Yonescat, Florin. "Council". The Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  10. "Reporter Reviews - IAGA". www.iaga-aiga.org. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
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