Anthony Chan

Anthony Chan is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University, specializing in theoretical space plasma physics with a focus on radiation belt dynamics. He leads the development of the K2 computational model to simulate Earth's radiation belts in coordination with NASA's Van Allen Probes mission. His research integrates theory, simulation, and observational data to understand relativistic electron acceleration, transport, and loss mechanisms. Dr. Chan holds a PhD from Princeton University and has contributed extensively to magnetospheric physics through collaborative projects with institutions like the University of Colorado.

Education:

• BS, University of Auckland, New Zealand (1981)
• MS, University of Auckland, New Zealand (1983)
• PhD, Princeton University (1991)

Research interests include radiation belt radial diffusion, ULF wave interactions, and the role of inductive electric fields in particle energization. He has pioneered numerical methods for radiation belt modeling, including positivity-preserving finite volume schemes and stochastic differential equation frameworks. His work addresses both fundamental plasma physics and practical implications for space weather and satellite safety.

Key contributions include the UBER solver for kinetic equations and the Sayram code for 3D radiation belt simulations. Dr. Chan is a Co-Investigator on the RBSP-ECT instrument team and has published widely on magnetospheric dynamics since the 1990s.