Hannah Schunker

Dr. Hannah Schunker is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Information and Physical Sciences at the University of Newcastle. She holds an ARC Future Fellowship (2022–2026) and is a Research Advantage Women in Research Fellow. Her expertise lies in solar and stellar physics, focusing on helioseismology and asteroseismology to study the solar dynamo and magnetic field dynamics. She previously worked at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University
• Bachelor of Science, University of Adelaide

Research Interests: Dr. Schunker investigates the Sun's magnetic field, solar dynamo mechanisms, and space weather impacts. Her work includes analyzing solar oscillations, magnetic flux emergence, and asteroseismology of Sun-like stars. She discovered the 'Schunker Effect,' where helioseismic waves are perturbed by sunspot magnetic fields.

Key Contributions:

• Developed methods to predict space weather by analyzing active region emergence.
• Advanced understanding of subsurface flows and magnetic field interactions.
• Contributed to the PLATO mission for exoplanet and stellar asteroseismology studies.

Awards & Grants:

• ARC Future Fellowship (2022)
• ABC Science collaborations (e.g., 'Solar Storms,' 'Fusion')
• Claire Corani Prize (1999)

Teaching & Supervision: Lectures include Advanced Physics II, Introduction to Astronomy, and Photonics. She coordinates multidisciplinary laboratory research projects.

Labs/Teams: Active in solar physics research groups within the University of Newcastle and collaborates internationally on helioseismology and asteroseismology projects.