Patrick Antolin

Patrick Antolin is an Associate Professor at Northumbria University's Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering. His research focuses on solar atmospheric phenomena, including coronal heating via MHD waves, coronal cooling processes (e.g., coronal rain and prominences), and thermal instabilities. He holds dual PhDs from Kyoto University (2009, numerical simulations) and the University of Oslo (2012, solar observations).

Education:

• BSc Mathematics (2003), Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
• BSc Physics (2004), Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
• MSc (2006), Kyoto University, Japan
• PhD (2009), Kyoto University
• PhD (2012), University of Oslo

Research Interests:

• Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and wave dynamics
• Numerical modelling (parallel computing)
• Forward modelling of observational diagnostics
• Solar observations using space- and ground-based instruments

His work emphasizes understanding coronal heating mechanisms, thermal non-equilibrium processes, and the role of magnetic topology in solar phenomena.

Key Contributions:

• Developed models for coronal rain formation via thermal instabilities near magnetic null points
• Investigated MHD wave-driven heating in coronal loops
• Advanced techniques for decomposing solar EUV emissions to study plasma components

Awards:

• 2018: The Cool Alter-Ego of the Hot Solar Corona (recognizing contributions to thermal non-equilibrium research)

Grants & Activities:

• Recipient of STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (2016–2019)
• Collaborator on Solar Orbiter/EUI Consortium since 2020
• Organized COSPAR 2021 sessions on solar physics

Lab/Team: Leads a research group focusing on solar coronal dynamics, numerical simulations, and multi-wavelength observational analysis.