Ronald Gordon Giovanelli,

DSc DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

( /dʒoʊvɑ’nɛli/; 30 April 1915 — 27 January 1984) was an Australian solar researcher,

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...

and

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

, who contributed to the fields of

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...

solar physics Solar physics is the branch of astrophysics that specializes in the study of the Sun. It deals with detailed measurements that are possible only for our closest star. It intersects with many disciplines of pure physics, astrophysics, and compu ...

radiative transfer Radiative transfer is the physical phenomenon of energy transfer in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The propagation of radiation through a medium is affected by absorption, emission, and scattering processes. The equation of radiative tran ...

, and astronomical optics. His career spanned more than 40 years, commencing prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Giovanelli was the recipient of the 1949

Edgeworth David Medal The Edgeworth David Medal is awarded annually by the Royal Society of New South Wales for distinguished contributions by a young scientist under the age of 35 years for work done predominantly in Australia or which contributed to the advancement ...

by the

Royal Society of New South Wales The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. The Governor of New South Wales is the vice-regal patron of the Society. The Society was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June ...

for the discipline of

, which recognises distinguished contributions by scientists under the age of 35 years old in their respective fields. He was also elected into the Fellowship of the

Australian Academy of Science The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The academy is modelled after the Royal Soci ...

in 1962 for his contributions in the field of physics. Giovanelli served as Chief of the Physics Division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) from 1958–1976, during which he also became Chairman of the Australian National Committee from 1962–1965, President of the

Astronomical Society of Australia The Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) is the professional body representing astronomers in Australia. Established in 1966, it is incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory. Membership of the ASA is open to people "capable of contributi ...

from 1968–1971, and President of Commission 12 (Solar Radiation) of the

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...

from 1973–1976. He served as Chairman of the Australian National Committee for Solar-Terrestrial Physics in 1973, and from 1979–81.

Biography

Early life and education

Ronald Gordon Giovanelli was born on 30 April 1915 in

Grafton, New South Wales Grafton ( Bundjalung-Yugambeh: Gumbin Gir) is a city in the Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is located on the Clarence River, approximately by road north-northeast of the state capital Sydney. The closest m ...

. He was the only child of Irwin Wilfred Giovanelli, a

schoolteacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. wh ...

, and Gertrude May. Ronald's great-grandfather Giuseppe migrated from

Ravenna, Italy Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

during the 1850s. He settled and married in Sydney, with his wife giving birth to their son George Henry in 1857. George Henry would go on to marry Lucy Ellen Arkey and have eight children, with Irwin Wilfred, Ronald's father, being born on 7 August 1887. Irwin Wilfred attended school in Grafton, and proceeded to attend Sydney Teacher's College. With this training, he became a mathematics teacher at Grafton High School. Irwin Wilfred earned respect and recognition as a teacher, and started serving as a headmaster at various schools in the country. With his father becoming a headmaster, Ronald attended a variety of schools in the towns of

Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...

, Trundle, and

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

in New South Wales during his early years. Upon turning 12 years old, he moved from the country to Sydney to board privately while attending Fort Street Boys' High School. He was made prefect based on his academic performance. During his time in school, Ronald started taking an interest in music and sports, playing the piano and tennis. After finishing his studies in Fort Street Boys' High School, he decided to attend

The University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

, where he studied a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

, and subsequently graduated with

First Class Honours The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...

in Mathematics and Physics in 1937. He proceeded to do a master's degree and doctorate, obtaining his

M.Sc. A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

and

D.Sc. Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

in 1939 and 1950, respectively. While obtaining these degrees, Giovanelli conducted a lot of scientific research, for which he was awarded the

. He married Katherine Hazel Gordon on 8 February 1947 at St. Michael's Church of England in

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019. The pair had two children — Lesley Anne, born December 1948, and Philip Gordon, born November 1950. University of Sydney Main Quadrangle

Career

Giovanelli was appointed as a

research Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...

fellow at the

Commonwealth Solar Observatory Mount Stromlo Observatory located just outside Canberra, Australia, is part of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University (ANU). History The observatory was established in 1924 as The Commonwea ...

(now known as Mount Stromlo Observatory) at Mount Stromlo, Canberra from 1937–1939, while he was completing his master's degree. His role as a research fellow at the observatory developed his interest in solar active regions and optical astronomy. He also served as a physics teacher at

Sydney Technical College The Sydney Technical College, now known as the TAFE New South Wales Sydney Institute, is a technical school established in 1878, that superseded the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts. The college is one of Australia's oldest technical education i ...

from 1939–1940. In 1938, The Commonwealth government created a National Standards Laboratory (NSL) within the

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency responsible for scientific research. CSIRO works with leading organisations around the world. From its headquarters in Canberra, CSIRO ...

. Giovanelli and eight other scientists were recruited by the CSIR as research scholars to develop the NSL, primarily tasked with being able to establish national standards of measurement. The nine scientists were to work at the British National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, South West London under the supervision of George Henry Briggs, who was Officer-in-Charge of the Physics division of the NSL during that time. The purpose of the assignment was to gain experience that could assist them in accomplishing this task. Giovanelli sailed for

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in February 1940, where he specialised in

optics Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultraviole ...

light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...

, and

photometry Photometry can refer to: * Photometry (optics), the science of measurement of visible light in terms of its perceived brightness to human vision * Photometry (astronomy), the measurement of the flux or intensity of an astronomical object's electrom ...

. During his time in the British National Physical Laboratory, he attended scientific symposiums in

The Royal Institution The Royal Institution of Great Britain (often the Royal Institution, Ri or RI) is an organisation for scientific education and research, based in the City of Westminster. It was founded in 1799 by the leading British scientists of the age, in ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, as well as visiting

The University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, where he was able to meet

Sir Arthur Eddington Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington (28 December 1882 – 22 November 1944) was an English astronomer, physicist, and mathematician. He was also a philosopher of science and a populariser of science. The Eddington limit, the natural limit to the lumi ...

OM FRS due to the earlier work he conducted during his stint at the Commonwealth Solar Observatory. first published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 17, (MUP), 2007. originally published in ''Historical Records of Australian Science'', vol 6, no 2, 1985, p 223.Giovanelli, R. G. (Ronald Gordon) (1915–1984)
trove.nla.gov.au
Encyclopaedia of Australian Science National Physical Laboratory - geograph

Giovanelli returned to

in 1941 via

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, where he visited the

National Research Council of Canada The National Research Council Canada (NRC; french: Conseil national de recherches Canada) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research & development. It is the largest federal research ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, and the

National Bureau of Standards The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sci ...

(now known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology) in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He returned to a newly-constructed NSL building within the University of Sydney. The occurrence of

meant that the NSL's tasks were diverted from creating measurement standards towards more urgent war-time national defence projects. The National Standards Laboratory was then declared as a full division in the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1945. In 1956, Giovanelli established a small observatory in Fleurs. During this time, Giovanelli desired to measure the sun's

velocity Velocity is the directional speed of an object in motion as an indication of its rate of change in position as observed from a particular frame of reference and as measured by a particular standard of time (e.g. northbound). Velocity is a ...

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...

, and other properties. He wanted to take the sun's measurements over time in the shortest amount of time possible. The execution of these measurements entailed specialised strategies and optical equipment. To carry this out, they required filters that would have extremely high resolutions in order to create an image of the sun. In collaboration with various other physicists, Giovanelli designed and created a 1/8 Å birefringent filter.

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
endeavours

As Senior Principal Research Scientist and Leader of the Light division of the

CSIRO The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentar ...

, Giovanelli contributed greatly to Australian Standards in the fields of

, and

colorimetry Colorimetry is "the science and technology used to quantify and describe physically the human color perception". It is similar to spectrophotometry, but is distinguished by its interest in reducing spectra to the physical correlates of color ...

. One of Giovanelli's projects during

was the creation and development of special

goggles Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...

for anti-aircraft spotters, with the purpose of preventing eye damage of spotters who had to observe aircraft coming from the direction of the sun in tropic environments. This was carried out by using tinted lenses, and integrating a centrepiece made of dark glass covering the sun. Another war-time project that Giovanelli engaged in was concerned with issues over

dark adaptation Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low l ...

by aircraft pilots and gunners. He solved this problem by illuminating instrument panels with red light of a specific intensity. He was one of many Australian scientists responsible for the production of high-grade optical glass during this time, as well as the measurement of their refractive indices and homogeneity which resulted in Australia's war requirements being met, and enabling the establishment of optical industries during the

post-war In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...

period. After

, universities were rapidly expanding in Australia, resulting in a scarcity of optical scientific equipment for use in the education sector. Giovanelli directed the testing of more than a thousand

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisibl ...

s to be used for teaching, in collaboration with W.H. Steel at the National Standards Laboratory in

. Giovanelli and Steel were responsible for establishing the microscopes' objective's standard of optical performance.

Academia

Giovanelli was involved in academia across several institutions. He was appointed as Honorary Associate of the Department of Applied Mathematics at

in 1959, where he was responsible for working with students of

, and overseeing their PhD courses. He was a visiting professor at

Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment (''grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris ne ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1964 and again in 1982. Giovanelli worked as a professor of physics at Wollongong University College during the academic year 1968, which was considered a college of

The University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public university, public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight (Australian universities), ...

up until 1974. He was also a member of University of New South Wales' professorial board, and gave lectures on astronomy at the university twice a week. From 1964-1965, Giovanelli served as a visiting scientist at the

Fraunhofer-Institut The Fraunhofer Society (german: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., lit=Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research) is a German research organization with 76institutes spread throughout Germany ...

(now known as the Leibniz Institute) located in Freiburg, West Germany. He was also a visiting scientist at the

Kitt Peak National Observatory The Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) is a United States astronomy, astronomical observatory located on Kitt Peak of the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert on the Tohono Oʼodham Nation, west-southwest of Tucson, Arizona. With ...

in Arizona, USA for six months in 1975 and 1979, and for a year in 1981, where he was involved with measuring the velocities of

plasma Plasma or plasm may refer to: Science * Plasma (physics), one of the four fundamental states of matter * Plasma (mineral), a green translucent silica mineral * Quark–gluon plasma, a state of matter in quantum chromodynamics Biology * Blood pla ...

contained in flux tubes. During this time, he had established and employed the Line-Centre-Magnetogram (LCM) strategy in order to distinguish and separate magnetic and non-magnetic constituents. The LCM scheme is founded on the observation of the Zeeman polarisation. In that same year, Giovanelli gave a lecture on

plasma physics Plasma ()πλάσμα
, Henry George Liddell, R ...

La Trobe University La Trobe University is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its main campus is located in the suburb of Bundoora. The university was established in 1964, becoming the third university in the state of Victoria an ...

. In 1982, Giovanelli gave lectures at various observatories including the Observatoire de Meudon in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian at Harvard in Cambridge, MA, USA, as well as the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

Death and Tributes

Giovanelli died of chronic

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failu ...

on the 27th of January, 1984 at the

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown. It is a teaching hospital of the Central Clinical School of the Sydney Medical School ...

in Sydney, Australia. Camperdown Royal Prince Alfred Hospital 2

Following his death, various tributes were made in the

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

for his contributions to the field of

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

. For his contribution to the knowledge on

solar-terrestrial physics Space physics, also known as solar-terrestrial physics or space-plasma physics, is the study of plasmas as they occur naturally in the Earth's upper atmosphere (aeronomy) and within the Solar System. As such, it encompasses a far-ranging number of ...

, a stream of workshops on the subject was held in honour of Giovanelli at the sixth National Congress of the

Australian Institute of Physics The Australian Institute of Physics was established in 1963, when it replaced the Australian Branch of the British Institute of Physics based in London.

, which took place in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

on August 1984. These workshops operated in co-sponsorship with the

. On the 26th to the 29th of November, 1984 in

, a colloquium was held in commemoration of Giovanelli, entitled "Past Progress and Future Developments in Solar and Stellar Atmospheric Physics." The colloquium was attended by 40 astronomers from both Australia and overseas countries including

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. At one point during this colloquium, all attendees congregated around a sundial located at the grounds of the Division of Applied Physics of the

in order to take part in a ceremony of dedication and tribute to Ronald Giovanelli's memory. On the 17th to the 18th of January, 1985 in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, a second Ronald Giovanelli commemoration colloquium was held. Giovanelli was scheduled to give a speech on the subject of

magnetic reconnection Magnetic reconnection is a physical process occurring in highly conducting plasmas in which the magnetic topology is rearranged and magnetic energy is converted to kinetic energy, thermal energy, and particle acceleration. Magnetic reconnectio ...

at an earlier colloquium in

Los Alamos, New Mexico Los Alamos is an census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, that is recognized as the development and creation place of the atomic bomb—the primary objective of the Manhattan Project by Los Alamos National Labora ...

but was unable to do so due to ill health. He instead prepared a videotaped speech, which was screened at the Tucson colloquium, where he discusses

solar prominence A prominence, sometimes referred to as a filament, is a large plasma and magnetic field structure extending outward from the Sun's surface, often in a loop shape. Prominences are anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere, and extend outw ...

s, and

sunspot Sunspots are phenomena on the Sun's photosphere that appear as temporary spots that are darker than the surrounding areas. They are regions of reduced surface temperature caused by concentrations of magnetic flux that inhibit convection. Sun ...

Notable works and modern impacts

Magnetic Reconnection

Giovanelli is credited with originating the principle of

. In October 1983, a magnetic reconnection conference took place at the

Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...

in New Mexico, USA, which was attended by more than a hundred scientists from over a dozen countries. According to the official records for this conference, it was during this event that Giovanelli was honoured for originating this concept, 37 years after his first published work, documenting the effect. Magnetic reconnection occurs when

permeates magnetic boundaries, with the resulting magnetised plasmas flowing towards each other and integrating. Giovanelli introduced the concept of magnetic reconnection as potentially being mechanism for

particle acceleration In a compressible sound transmission medium - mainly air - air particles get an accelerated motion: the particle acceleration or sound acceleration with the symbol a in metre/second2. In acoustics or physics, acceleration (symbol: ''a'') is def ...

solar flare A solar flare is an intense localized eruption of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and other solar phe ...

s. Giovanelli published an article in 1946 proposing that the production of chromospheric flares are contingent on the energy obtained by these charged particles when operating within induced

electric field An electric field (sometimes E-field) is the physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles and exerts force on all other charged particles in the field, either attracting or repelling them. It also refers to the physical field fo ...

s within close proximity of

s. He establishes the positive correlation between sunspots and chromospheric flares, providing evidence that the occurrence of a chromospheric flare becomes increasingly probable in areas where sunspots are larger. In the years 1947-1948, Giovanelli published two more research papers further developing the reconnection model of the sun's magnetosphere. In these works, he also proposes a flare theory involving points of neutrality within magnetic fields. Giovanelli's concept of magnetic reconnection has since been utilised for modern solar astronomic research, and has been further developed in a series of published research articles.

Secrets of the Sun

Towards his death, Giovanelli was working on a monograph entitled 'Secrets of the Sun', which discusses and explains in detail the subject matters of the sun's structure,

s, and

magnetic field A magnetic field is a vector field that describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges, electric currents, and magnetic materials. A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its own velocity and to ...

s. The English version of 'Secrets of the Sun' was published posthumously in 1984, with the German edition 'Geheimnisvolle Sonne' being published in 1987. 'Secrets of the Sun' was designed as a book for laymen, written without highly technical terminology, scientific jargon or mathematical equations so that it would be comprehended by non-scientists and non-specialists.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giovanelli, Ronald 1915 births 1984 deaths Australian astrophysicists Australian scientists Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science

Biography

Early life and education

Career

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ... endeavours

Academia

Death and Tributes

Notable works and modern impacts

Magnetic Reconnection

Secrets of the Sun

References

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
endeavours