Ofer Cohen

OFER COHEN, Associate PROFESSOR
PHYSICS & APPLIED PHYSICS
Lowell Center for Space Science & Technology
WANNALANCIT MILLS 308/OLNEY 101A
TEL: 978-934-4913
EMAIL: OFER_COHEN@UML.EDU

 

I am an assistant professor at the Physics & Applied Physics department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Prior to that I was an Astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

My research involves interdisciplinary studies covering wide range of topics from Solar & Space Physics and Planetary Science to Astrophysics and Exoplanets. My research approach is based on the assumption that plasma physics processes are universal, and that we should use the detailed information we have from our own solar system to study astrophysical problems that are less constrained.

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Heliophysics, Exoplanets, Stellar astrophysics, Space weather, Planetary atmospheres

 

 

Press Releases:

2024: 

Possibly habitable Trappist-1 exoplanet caught destroying its own atmosphere

Possible atmospheric destruction of a potentially habitable exoplanet

2023: 

Highest-energy sunlight ever recorded is far beyond what scientists thought possible

WBUR aurora forcast

Earth’s magnetic field protects life on Earth from radiation, but it can move, and the magnetic poles can even flip

2022:

One exciting way to find planets: Detect the signals from their magnetospheres

Coronal Dimmings Shine Light on Stellar CMEs

Simulating the space weather in the AU Mic system: stellar winds and extreme coronal mass ejections

2020:

Violent space weather could limit life on nearby exoplanets

Proxima Centauri c – potentially habitable planet orbiting our nearest neighbor 

2019:

Energetic Particles Can Bombard Exoplanets

Breezing Through The Space Environment of Barnard’s Star b

Synthetic Radio Imaging in Quiet and Eruptive Solar Cases 

2018:

The Sun Is Spitting Out Strange Patterns of Gamma Rays—and No One Knows Why

2017:

Exo-Earths With Global Magnetic Fields Most Likely To Have Life- Forbes Magazine

Alien Planet Likely Can’t Support Life

Stellar Winds Could Be Bad News for Life on TRAPPIST-1 Planets

An Earth-like Atmosphere May Not Survive Proxima b’s Orbit

2016:

This Planet Just Outside Our Solar System Is ‘Potentially Habitable’ – NPR

The space weather on the closest Earth-like exoplanet – Physics Today

2015:

Radio Telescopes Could Spot Stars Hidden in the Galactic Center – CfA

2014:

PBS

Washington Post

Harsh Space Weather May Doom Potential Life on Red-Dwarf Planets – CfA

2011:

Exoplanet Aurora – CfA

2009:

The Winds of Spinning Stars