Richard Schwartz

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	|second_author = Hugh HUDSON		|second_author = Hugh HUDSON
	|publish_date = 18 January 2021		|publish_date = 18 January 2021
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	|previous_nugget = {{#ask: [[Category:Nugget]] [[RHESSI Nugget Index::398]]}}		|previous_nugget = {{#ask: [[Category:Nugget]] [[RHESSI Nugget Index::398]]}}
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	Richard did his PhD studies in Physics at the University of California,		Richard did his PhD studies in Physics at the University of California,
-	Berkeley, with research carried out at the Space Sciences Laboratory	+	Berkeley, with research carried out at the
		+	[https://www.ssl.berkeley.edu Space Sciences Laboratory]
	in the group of		in the group of
	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_Anderson Kinsey Anderson]		[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_Anderson Kinsey Anderson]
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	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lin Bob Lin].		[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lin Bob Lin].
	Richard's time as a graduate student was one of great success for the group,		Richard's time as a graduate student was one of great success for the group,
-	based on a very successful balloon observation of the flare	+	based on a remarkable [https://www.nasa.gov/scientificballoons balloon]-borne observation of the flare
	SOL1980-06-27 (M6).		SOL1980-06-27 (M6).
	The instrumentation included a Ge high-resolution hard X-ray spectrometer,		The instrumentation included a Ge high-resolution hard X-ray spectrometer,
-	and a 300 cm<sup>2</sup> low-background phoswich scintillation counter.	+	and a 300 cm<sup>2</sup> low-background [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoswich_detector phoswich] scintillation counter.
	This very successful balloon flight produced data that Richard helped to		This very successful balloon flight produced data that Richard helped to
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	After a couple of years' postodoctoral work  at JPL, Richard settled		After a couple of years' postodoctoral work  at JPL, Richard settled
-	down at NASA Goddard and joined Ken Frost's X-ray group working on the	+	down at NASA Goddard and joined
		+	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_John_Frost Ken Frost's] X-ray group working on the
	solar flare data from the Hard X-ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) on the		solar flare data from the Hard X-ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) on the
-	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Maximum_Mission Solar Maximum Mission.	+	[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Maximum_Mission] Solar Maximum Mission.
	Becoming involved in the analysis of data from almost every space mission		Becoming involved in the analysis of data from almost every space mission
-	that has made high energy solar flare observations, he gravitated towards	+	that has made high-energy solar flare observations, he gravitated towards
	the practical side of these investigations as he specialized more and more		the practical side of these investigations as he specialized more and more
	in scientific software development.		in scientific software development.
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	He had begun playing a similar role for the Spectrometer/Telescope for		He had begun playing a similar role for the Spectrometer/Telescope for
	Imaging X-rays (STIX) on the recently-launched		Imaging X-rays (STIX) on the recently-launched
-	[https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter Solar Orbiter].	+	[https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter Solar Orbiter].
	== Farewell ==		== Farewell ==

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Latest revision as of 20:22, 21 February 2021

Nugget
Number:	399
1st Author:	Brian DENNIS
2nd Author:	Hugh HUDSON
Published:	18 January 2021
Next Nugget:	Solar FRB
Previous Nugget:	Observing Solar Flare X-ray Polarization with Prospective CubeSat Missions
List all

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Early career: Berkeley 3 SMM and RHESSI: Goddard 4 Farewell 5 References

Introduction

Our friend and colleague Richard A. Schwartz passed away unexpectedly at his home on Saturday, 12 December 2020, and all of the RHESSI extended team will remember him vividly. Please visit his memorial page and join his family and other friends there. An obituary notice has appeared at SolarNews, January 1, 2021. This Nugget will mainly reflect on his scientific life and work.

Early career: Berkeley

Richard did his PhD studies in Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, with research carried out at the Space Sciences Laboratory in the group of Kinsey Anderson and Bob Lin. Richard's time as a graduate student was one of great success for the group, based on a remarkable balloon-borne observation of the flare SOL1980-06-27 (M6). The instrumentation included a Ge high-resolution hard X-ray spectrometer, and a 300 cm² low-background phoswich scintillation counter.

This very successful balloon flight produced data that Richard helped to analyze: the major discoveries resulting from early Ge spectroscopy ("Superhot" emission, Ref. [1]) and sensitive large-area detectors (hard X-ray microflares, Ref. [2]). Graduate work in Berkeley, with its famous "gourmet ghetto", may have inspired Richard's long love affair with good food.

SMM and RHESSI: Goddard

After a couple of years' postodoctoral work at JPL, Richard settled down at NASA Goddard and joined Ken Frost's X-ray group working on the solar flare data from the Hard X-ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) on the [1] Solar Maximum Mission. Becoming involved in the analysis of data from almost every space mission that has made high-energy solar flare observations, he gravitated towards the practical side of these investigations as he specialized more and more in scientific software development. His biggest role was as the scientist responsible for our RHESSI data analysis software. He had begun playing a similar role for the Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) on the recently-launched Solar Orbiter.

Farewell

Richard's main skill was the ability to combine scientific understanding with efficient computational techniques. Richard's problem-solving capabilities, prodigious memory, insightful but often acerbic wit, and imposing presence will be sorely missed by his many friends at Goddard and around the world in the international high-energy solar physics community. In particular most of his visitors at Goddard will miss his enthusiastic and adventurous dinner expeditions.

References

[1] "A new component of hard X-rays in solar flares"

[2] "Solar hard X-ray microflares"