Space OdysseyPlease join us for an afternoon celebrating world-renowned space exploration at the University of Iowa on Sunday, October 12, 2003, sponsored by the University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the UI Alumni Association/Orange County Iowa Club, and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.
A unique opportunity to hear UI Professor Don Gurnett (62BSEE, 63MS, 65PhD) discuss his role in "Sun Rings," a multimedia production based on his 40-year collection of the sounds of space.
Bring the kids to this interactive presentation by UI physics and astronomy faculty and staff on the exploration of space. Philharmonic Society volunteers and Iowa alumni will be available to assist with this event.
Complimentary heavy hors d'oeuvres and sodas/coffee (cash bar will be available) While enjoying refreshments, you'll also have the chance to visit with Professor Gurnett, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Linda Maxson, and Alumni Association President and CEO Vince Nelson. Sounds of Space Most people think of space as a vacuum, but in fact the Sun and the planets are surrounded by a tenuous ionized gas called a plasma. An astonishing variety of waves propagate in plasmas, many of which have distinctive out-of-this-world musical sounds. In this presentation, Professor Gurnett will discuss his work in the field of space plasma waves, as well as his multimedia collaboration with Kronos Quartet composer Terry Riley and visual designer Willie Williams to produce Sun Rings, a musical production based on his 40-year collection of space sounds. A unique collaboration between art and science commissioned by the NASA Arts Program and co-commissioned by the Philharmonic Society, Hancher Auditorium, the University of Iowa, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, and other organizations, Sun Rings will be presented at the Orange County Performing Arts Center October 14, 2003. Quoted in The Los Angeles Times (by Mark Swed) on November 10, 2002,
Gurnett said: ”I call some space sounds musical, but that raises an interesting philosophical question: Does music have to be made by humans?” Don Gurnett
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Sunday, October 12, 2003
Professor of physics in the UI Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Gurnett specializes in the study of space
plasma physics and has
participated in more than 30 projects, most notably the Voyager
1 and 2 flights to the outer planets, the Galileo mission to
Jupiter, and the Cassini mission to Saturn. His most recent project
involves
the development of a low-frequency radar for the Mars Express
spacecraft, launched on June 2, 2003. He is the author or co-author
of more
than 430 scientific publications, primarily in the area of space
radio and plasma wave research, and has supervised 50 graduate
thesis projects. Gurnett has received numerous awards for his
research. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in physics
and
astronomy, and in 1990 he received the M. L. Huit Faculty Award
for outstanding service and dedication to students at the University
of Iowa. In 1994, he received the Iowa Board of Regents Award
for Faculty Excellence, and in 1998 he was elected to the National
Academy of Sciences.| |
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