Photo of James Connell of the EOS Space Science Center.

James Connell

Professor
Phone: (603) 862-5096
Office: Morse Hall, Room 205b, Durham, NH 03824
Websites:

My principal research interest is measuring energetic particle radiation in space. This includes Galactic cosmic rays which fill the Galaxy and are probably accelerated by supernovae shocks; Solar energetic particles which are accelerated by events on the Sun and by shocks in interplanetary space; and the anomalous cosmic rays, which are interstellar neutral atoms that drift into the Solar System, become ionized and are carried by the Solar wind out to the termination shock (a shock formed where the Solar wind becomes sub-sonic) where they undergo acceleration. 

 

A long-standing side interest is nuclear science, technology and policy. I developed an Inquiry Course for non-majors on the subject, “Myths and Misconceptions about Nuclear Science.”  My interests in space and nuclear Physics, has led to a novel concept in Magnetic Confinement Fusion (MCF) partly inspired by plasma phenomena in space, which has been patented by UNH ("System of Converging Plasma Pistons" U.S. Patent Number 11,744,002) with a second patent pending (U.S. 2024/0015876 A1).  This has become a new, additional research area.

 

I am deeply involved in the Energetic Heavy Ion Sensor (EHIS) for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) Program (https://www.goes-r.gov/spacesegment/seiss.html). EHIS instruments are on orbit on GOES-16, -17, -18 and -19.  These instruments are based on my Angle Detecting Inclined Sensors (ADIS) system which, oddly enough, was inspired by battleship armor.  Another project is developing a synthetic diamond Cherenkov detector that can bridge the energy “gap” between solid-state detectors and widely used plastic Cherenkov detectors.  This would enable a single space instrument able to measure ions from ~1 to ~700 MeV/nuc for protons and helium which otherwise requires at least two instruments.   

 

Scientifically, much of my work has been detailed measurements of the isotopic and elemental composition of Galactic cosmic rays, including chronography, using data from High Energy Telescope (HET), on the Ulysses spacecraft on which I became a co-investigator. The HET is part of the heritage leading to EHIS. 

 

Courses Taught

  • PHYS 407: General Physics I Recitation
  • PHYS 605: Experimental Physics I
  • PHYS 797: Senior Design Project
  • PHYS 939: Classical Mechanics

Education

  • Ph.D., Physics, Washington University - St Louis
  • M.A., Physics, Washington University - St Louis
  • B.A., Physics, Washington University - St Louis

Research Interests

  • Astrophysics
  • Extraterrestrial Radiation
  • Nuclear Astrophysics
  • Radiation Instrumentation
  • Space Sciences
  • Space Weather
  • Nuclear Fusion
  • Nuclear Physics

Selected Publications

  • Rodriguez-Pacheco, J., Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F., Mason, G. M., Ho, G. C., Sanchez-Prieto, S., Prieto, M., . . . Zong, Q. (2020). The Energetic Particle Detector: Energetic particle instrument suite for the Solar Orbiter mission. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 642. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935287

  • Connell, J. J., Lopate, C., & Tabeling, J. W. (2019). A novel synthetic diamond Cherenkov radiator for measuring space radiation. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, 942. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2019.162338

  • Connell, J. J., Lopate, C., & McLaughlin, K. R. (2016). Accelerator test of an improved Angle Detecting Inclined Sensor (ADIS) prototype with beams of Kr-78 and fragments. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT, 837, 11-15. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2016.08.038

  • Galica, G. E., Dichter, B. K., Tsui, S., Golightly, M. J., Lopate, C., & Connell, J. J. (2016). GOES-R Space Environment In-Situ Suite: Instruments overview, calibration results, and data processing algorithms, and expected on-orbit performance. In EARTH OBSERVING MISSIONS AND SENSORS: DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION IV Vol. 9881. doi:10.1117/12.2228537

  • Dichter, B. K., Galica, G. E., McGarity, J. O., Tsui, S., Golightly, M. J., Lopate, C., & Connell, J. J. (2015). Specification, Design, and Calibration of the Space Weather Suite of Instruments on the NOAA GOES-R Program Spacecraft. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE, 62(6), 2776-2783. doi:10.1109/TNS.2015.2477997

  • Villagrasa-Canton, C., Boudard, A., Ducret, J. -E., Fernandez, B., Leray, S., Volant, C., . . . Junghans, A. (2007). Spallation residues in the reaction Fe-56+p at 0.3A, 0.5A, 0.75A, 1.0A, and 1.5A GeV. PHYSICAL REVIEW C, 75(4). doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.75.044603

  • McKibben, R. B., Connell, J. J., Lopate, C., Zhang, M., Anglin, J. D., Balogh, A., . . . Heber, B. (2003). Ulysses COSPIN observations of cosmic rays and solar energetic particles from the South Pole to the North Pole of the Sun during solar maximum. ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE, 21(6), 1217-1228. doi:10.5194/angeo-21-1217-2003

  • Connell, J. J. (1998). Galactic cosmic-ray confinement time: Ulysses High Energy Telescope measurements of the secondary radionuclide Be-10. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 501(1), L59-L62. doi:10.1086/311437

  • SIMPSON, J. A., ANGLIN, J. D., BOTHMER, V., CONNELL, J. J., FERRANDO, P., HEBER, B., . . . ZHANG, M. (1995). COSMIC-RAY AND SOLAR PARTICLE INVESTIGATIONS OVER THE SOUTH POLAR-REGIONS OF THE SUN. SCIENCE, 268(5213), 1019-1023. doi:10.1126/science.268.5213.1019

  • SIMPSON, J. A., ANGLIN, J. D., BALOGH, A., BERCOVITCH, M., BOUMAN, J. M., BUDZINSKI, E. E., . . . WIBBERENZ, G. (1992). THE ULYSSES COSMIC-RAY AND SOLAR PARTICLE INVESTIGATION. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS SUPPLEMENT SERIES, 92(2), 365-399. Retrieved from https://www.webofscience.com/

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