Jack D. ScudderView profile
Professor
Professor Jack D. Scudder is a distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Iowa, where he has been faculty since 1993. His research focuses on space magneto-plasmas and their kinetic properties, particularly in the solar corona, solar wind, collisionless shocks, magnetosheath, magnetopause, and collisionless reconnection phenomena. Scudder received his B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from Williams College in 1969, followed by an M.S. in Plasma Physics from the University of Maryland in 1971, and a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics from the same institution in 1975. His doctoral thesis was titled "Fission Driven Acoustic Waves in a Uranium Gas Core Reactor" under advisor D.A. Tidman. His research interests span Space Physics, Plasma Physics, Solar Wind dynamics, Magnetic Reconnection mechanisms, Collisionless Shocks, and Magnetospheric Physics. Scudder has made significant contributions to understanding non-thermal electron distributions in the solar wind, the role of ambipolar electric fields, and the fundamental processes of magnetic reconnection in space plasmas. His work often bridges theoretical models with spacecraft observations from missions like Voyager, ISEE-1, and NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission. Analysis of his recent publications (2012-2023) reveals a strong focus on non-Maxwellian distributions in space plasmas, with particular emphasis on solar wind electron behavior, the thermal force in astrophysical plasmas, and detailed measurements of magnetic reconnection sites. His research demonstrates a consistent theme of challenging conventional assumptions about plasma behavior in space environments, particularly the ubiquitous presence of non-thermal particle distributions. NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, 1991 NASA Group Achievement Award for GGS-Polar Hydra Experiment, June, 1998 NASA Special Achievement Awards (1976, 1979, 1981, 1986) NASA Voyager Group Achievement Awards (Saturn 1983, Uranus 1986) NASA Voyager (Cruise, Jupiter) Certificate of Appreciation, 1981 Professor Scudder has advised several graduate students, including Arthur J. Hull (PhD 1998) and John C. Dorelli (PhD 1999), as well as Master's students Chonghui Shen, Robert Holdaway, and Xuejun Cao. He has served as Principal Investigator for the Polar Hydra Hot Plasma Experiment and was Deputy Project Scientist for the ISTP/GGS Wind and Polar Spacecraft missions. His professional service includes editorial work for the Journal of Geophysical Research and extensive proposal reviewing for NASA and NSF. As Principal Investigator for the Polar Hydra Hot Plasma Experiment and through his long-standing involvement with NASA missions including Voyager, ISEE-1, and MMS, Scudder has led significant laboratory and spacecraft-based investigations of space plasma phenomena. His research group has contributed to the fundamental understanding of collisionless plasma processes that govern space weather and astrophysical environments.
