Physics Ph.D. student earns NASA fellowship
University of Texas at Arlington physics doctoral student Tapendra Sodari has been selected for a prestigious fellowship to fund his NASA-relevant research.
The third-year Ph.D. student was awarded a Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) fellowship from the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD). The award provides $50,000 annually for three years.
“I am genuinely thrilled and honored to be selected for this award,” Sodari said. “FINESST is highly competitive, with roughly an 18 percent selection rate in Heliophysics this year, so it is exciting and encouraging to receive this recognition.”
Sodari’s project, “Morphology of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly: GOLD Observations and GITM-SAMI3 Simulations,” is in the SMD’s Heliophysics Division. It examines a major feature of Earth’s upper atmosphere called the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly, which can strongly influence GPS accuracy, satellite operations and radio communications in equatorial and low latitude regions.
“Tapendra is an outstanding Ph.D. student who is always highly motivated and energetic,” said Zihan Wang, UTA assistant professor of physics and Sodari’s mentor. “His achievement highlights both his exceptional research potential and the strong national standing of UTA physics students.”
The ionosphere is the portion of the Earth’s upper atmosphere that extends roughly 50 to 400 miles above the planet’s surface. It contains layers that vary in density based on solar radiation. In the low-latitude and equatorial ionosphere, electrically charged particles called plasma form two distinct density bands, or crests, on either side of a low-density trough near the magnetic equator. This structure is known as the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly, or EIA.
“During geomagnetically disturbed periods, these bands can shift, weaken, or intensify,” Sodari said. “Such changes alter electron density along signal paths, degrading GPS positioning accuracy and disrupting radio communications.”
In his research, Sodari is using data from NASA’s Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission, which was launched in 2018. GOLD is an imaging instrument housed on a communications satellite in geostationary orbit which observes the ionosphere and thermosphere. He will combine the data from GOLD with two state-of-the-art models: the Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model (GITM), a three-dimensional numerical model used to simulate the Earth’s coupled ionosphere and thermosphere; and SAMI3, a three-dimensional model of the ionosphere/plasmasphere system.
“By comparing observations with model simulations, I study how the shape, behavior, and evolution of the post-sunset EIA crests vary with longitude, local time, and geomagnetic conditions. The goal is to understand the physical processes that drive these variations,” Sodari said.
Sodari started his doctoral studies at UTA in August 2023. He said he chose UTA because of its strong research program in space science and the opportunity to work with faculty conducting research in magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling and geospace modeling. He hopes his research will contribute to a better understanding of how Sun-Earth interactions can affect technology on Earth and in space.
“Improving our understanding of the EIA is essential for advancing space weather prediction and protecting critical space-based and ground technologies, making Tapendra’s research both scientifically important and societally relevant,” Wang said.
Written by Greg Pederson, College of Science
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.