Staff

Function and Responsibilities:

Yuri Shprits is head of Section 1.5 " Space Weather and Space Physics" 

Research Interests:

Prof. Dr. Yuri Shprits’s principal research interests are space physics and space weather, particularly the dynamics of the near-Earth space environment and the hazards it poses to satellites and technological infrastructure. In recent years, he has developed a comprehensive, coupled, data-assimilative modeling system for predicting the evolution of space weather and its effects. He was among the first scientists to apply machine-learning and data-assimilation methods in space physics.

Prof. Shprits developed models and computational codes to quantify the dynamic evolution of the radiation belts and to calculate quasi-linear scattering rates resulting from wave–particle interactions. He discovered and explained several fundamental processes responsible for particle acceleration and loss in the radiation belts. These include acceleration and loss mechanisms at ultra-relativistic energies, as well as outward radial diffusion driven by losses to the magnetopause, which explains the frequently observed dropouts in radiation-belt particle fluxes. He also provided compelling evidence for the existence and importance of local acceleration processes in the radiation belts. In addition, he quantified the effects of scattering by ELF/VLF and ULF waves and identified key processes associated with radial diffusion, local acceleration, and the loss of electrons from the radiation belts.

In addition to his research, Prof. Shprits holds numerous international scientific leadership and advisory positions. He is Vice-Chair of the COSPAR Panel on Radiation Belt Environment Modelling (PRBEM), Chair of the COSPAR Sub-Commission on Magnetospheres, and Founding Chair of the COSPAR-wide Interdisciplinary Panel on Machine Learning and Data Science. He is also a member of DIN and ISO and serves on two ESWAN committees. He is a member of the UK Met Office Scientific Advisory Board and previously served on the ESA SARP panel and NASA’s Living With a Star Steering Committee.

Prof. Shprits received the Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists from the European Geosciences Union in 2011. In 2012, he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), conferred by President Barack Obama.

Prof. Shprits is the author or co-author of more than 260 scientific publications, including 12 papers in Nature Publishing Group journals. His h-index is 65.

Career:

2017 - present, Section Head, Space Physics and Space Weather, German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ, Germany

 

2016 – present, Professor (W3), University of Potsdam, Institute for Physics and Astrophysics, University of Potsdam, Germany

 

2011-2016, Research Geophysicist, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.

 

2012 – 2016, Visiting Professor, MIT Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.

 

2012-2014, Associate Professor, Skoltech/MIT, Moscow, Russia /Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.

 

2010, Honorary Visiting Fellow, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

 

2009-2011, Associate Researcher IGPP, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A

 

2005-2009, Assistant /Associate Researcher Dept. Atmospheric Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A

Education:

- Honors B.Sc., Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Physics/Applied Mathematics, 1997
- M.S., University of Oklahoma, Meteorology, 2001
- M.S., University of California, Los Angeles, Atmospheric Sciences (Space Physics), 2004
- Ph.D., GPA 4.0, University of California, Los Angeles, Atmospheric Sciences (Space Physics), 2005

Projects:

Previously Funded

*Development of a 3D-Diffusion Code as a Radiation Belt Module in the GGCM (NSF), PI

*Quantifying Losses and Sources of Relativistic Electrons Using Kalman Filtering (NASA), PI

*Modeling of the Origin and Energizing of the Inner Radiation Belt Electrons and Phenomena that Mediates Them (AFRL), PI

*The Origin of Relativistic Electrons in the Jovian Magnetosphere (Co-I with PI R. Thorne) (NASA), PI

*RAPID: Adding Energetic Particle and Magnetic Field Measurements to a Russian University Satellite Mission, (NSF), PI

*The Role of EMIC Waves in the Outer Radiation Belt Losses (as a UCLA PI; Project PI: Ukhorskiy), (NASA)

*Radiation Belt Reanalysis Project (UCOP), $1.4M, PI

*PAGER -Prediction of Adverse effects of Geomagnetic storms and Energetic Radiation. (PI) funded by EU Horizon 2020

*SPEACH -Understanding the influence of the SPace Environment on Atmospheric CHemistry and dynamics. (PI) funded by German Research Foundation (DFG)

*MAP -Machine Learning Based Plasma Density Model. (PI) funded by HGF Research for Grand Challenges

*SIM -Solar Image-based Modeling. (PI) funded by Helmholtz Imaging Platform

*Survey of Jovian Plasma Wave Intensity and Diffusive Modeling of Electron Acceleration and Scattering (co-I) funded by NASA

*Determining the Role of EMIC Waves and the Magnetopause in the Dropout of Ultra-relativistic Electron Fluxes (co-I) funded by NASA

 

Currently Funded

*MISO (HGF Metadata; MISO: Metadata for Ionospheric and Space Weather Observations)

*SFB II (from SFB 1; SFB 1294 Mathematics Collaborative Research Center Data Assimilation: Novel Methods for the 3D Reconstruction of the Dynamic Evolution of the Van Allen Belts Using Multiple Satellite Measurements (PI) funded by DFG).

*RADIANCE (DFG; Radiation dropouts investigation and understanding of the causes of electron flux decreases during geomagnetic storms (RADIANCE)

*MIPT (DFG; Magnetosphere, Ionosphere, Plasmasphere and Thermosphere, as a coupled system (MIPT))

Research Boards and Committees:

Member of an Editorial Board:
*Journal of Basic and Applied Physics (JBAP), since 2013.
*Member of the Editorial Board of ELSEVIER’s Space Science Reviews.
*Member of the Editorial Board of MDPI’s Geosciences, since 2021

Meeting Convener: 
*Convener, Inner Magnetospheric Coupling (IMC-III) Workshop, Los Angeles, CA, 2015.
*Focus group leader, Geospace Environmental Modeling Workshop, 2010-2014.
*Convener, Inner Magnetospheric Coupling (IMC-II) Workshop, Los Angeles, CA, 2012.
*Convener, Radiation Belt Workshop, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2010.
*Convener, Inner Magnetospheric Coupling (IMC-I) Conference, Espo, Finland, 2008.
*Convener, Radiation Belt Workshop, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2008.

Activity and Membership in Professional Societies:
*Chair of COSPAR panel on Machine Learning and Data Science (PMLDS)
*Member, American Geophysical Union
*Member, European Geophysical Union
*Member, Committee on Space Research
*Focus group leader, Radiation Belt and Wave Modeling (RBWM) NSF Geospace Environmental Modeling (GEM) Workshop
*Vice-chair, COSPAR sub-committee D3.3
*Member, UCAR Jack Eddie Fellowship steering committee

Activity and Membership in National Committees:
*Member, Russian Space Research Consul of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2013-present

Professional Reviews
*Frequent reviewer of NSF and NASA proposals.
*Frequent reviewer, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar Terrestrial Physics, Geophysical Research Letters, Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal of Plasmas, Space Weather Journal, Space Science Reviews, Advances in Space Research

Awards:

1. 2012, Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers 
   Awarded by President Obama, White House, Washington, DC, July 2012.
2. 2011, Editors’ Citation for Excellence in Refereeing for Space Weather, America Geophysical Union.
3. 2011, Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Young Scientists, Union award of the European Geosciences Union, Vienna, Austria
4. 2011, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar Terrestrial Physics, award for “Most Cited Article in 2005-2010”
5. 2008, Young Investigator Proposal (YIP), AFOSR.
6. 2004, Jacob Bjerknes Award, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, UCLA