Beyond the forecast

When we think about the weather, several familiar images tend to cross our minds: clear blue skies, a thunderstorm, an overcast day or — although a rarity in Auburn — even snow. We don’t typically consider weather beyond our local climate, especially not weather in space. 

Chen Shi, an assistant professor in Auburn’s Department of Physics, studies exactly that. Shi received his bachelor’s degree from Peking University in China in 2015 and obtained his doctoral degree at the University of California in Los Angeles in 2020. It was there that he began his research on space weather, particularly regarding the behaviors of solar wind and its impacts on the Earth’s geomagnetic field.  

Shi came to Auburn just over a year ago, and has already made a significant impact within the Auburn University Department of Physics. This August, he received a 2026 Kamide Lecture Award from the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society, which recognized his outstanding early-career research. Shi was chosen by the society’s Solar and Terrestrial Sciences Section specifically for his work and contribution to the study of solar wind. 

“I introduced the most fundamental things, like why we studied the solar wind and the most fundamental theory of how the solar wind is generated,” Shi explained. “It was a big audience.” 

Solar wind consists of tiny, charged particles ejected by the Sun, such as protons and electrons. These particles careen through space at high speeds, reaching velocities of up to hundreds of kilometers per second. The streams of these particles are what we call solar wind. 

Shi’s research utilizes data gathered by the Parker Solar Probe, the closest human-made object to the Sun, to investigate the physical processes that shape the solar environment and drive space weather. During its closest approaches, Parker ventures far inside Mercury’s orbit, passing just 3.8 million miles above the Sun’s surface while its heat shield withstands temperatures of about 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The spacecraft’s four scientific instrument suites measure magnetic and electric fields, plasma and energetic particles, and image the Sun’s corona and solar wind, providing unprecedented observations of phenomena including the solar wind, coronal mass ejections and energetic particles associated with solar flares. 

“It can measure the processes for the very young solar wind. I and many other researchers are very interested in how the solar wind is generated; somehow those particles gain enough energy to escape the solar gravity, but the detailed dynamic process is still not fully understood.” 

Speed and temperature aren’t the only defining characteristics of solar wind. In fact, perhaps their most pertinent attribute is that they are magnetized. 

“The solar wind particles interact with the earth's magnetic field,” Shi said. “They inject energy into the geomagnetic field, and there are many dynamic processes that can happen during this interaction.” 

This interaction makes solar wind particularly important to study because they can have serious impacts on electromagnetic objects here on Earth. For example, magnetized solar wind particles follow the Earth’s own magnetic field, accumulating at the poles. The congregation of these charged, high-energy particles can result in power grid interruptions in areas such as Canada. 

However, the effects of solar wind aren’t all negative. In fact, one of the Earth’s most well-known and striking phenomena is a direct result of these solar winds interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field: the Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights. 

 

“The Aurora is caused by those charged particles,” Shi said. “They move along the earth's magnetic field lines and precipitate at the polar regions of the earth. They interact with the molecules inside of the atmosphere, and energy is ejected as a result of this interaction in the form of photons.” 

As it turns out, the Aurora Borealis can actually be seen from Auburn. A particularly strong geomagnetic storm in November of 2025 caused a red hue to be visible in the starry skies of Auburn for a few hours. 

Shi’s research isn’t just interesting; it’s life-changing. With the right information, the negative impacts of solar winds can be recognized and worked against, protecting others against electrical interruptions and possible power outages. 

“Space is not a vacuum,” Shi said. “Solar wind can impact the earth and it can have a significant negative impact on human society. So I think we need to care more about the space environment.” 

Research in physics is never-ceasing; whether rain or shine, continuous outstanding discovery is certainly in the forecast for the Auburn University Department of Physics thanks to Shi’s efforts in space weather research.