astronomy

Margaret Shea (scientist)

Margaret Shea (scientist) is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Margaret Shea (scientist) rather than just read about it. In short: Margaret Ann ("Peggy") Shea is a space scientist known for research on the connections between cosmic radiation and Earth's magnetic field. Education and career Shea graduated from Portsmouth High School (New Hampshire) in 1954 and was the top student in her high school math and physics classes.

Key takeaways

Margaret Shea (scientist) belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Margaret Shea (scientist) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Margaret Shea (scientist) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Margaret Ann ("Peggy") Shea is a space scientist known for research on the connections between cosmic radiation and Earth's magnetic field.

Education and career Shea graduated from Portsmouth High School (New Hampshire) in 1954 and was the top student in her high school math and physics classes. In college, she monitored cosmic rays in New Hampshire and was one of three women who entered the College of Technology at the University of New Hampshire. On the first day of an engineering class the instructor announced "Well, fellas, we've got two girls in here. How fast can we get 'em out?" She persisted and earned an undergraduate degree in 1958 and a masters in 1961, when she was the first women to earn an advanced degree in the physics department at the University of New Hampshire. She worked briefly at the University of Hawaii and AVCO Corporation. In 1964 she joined the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories. Shea earned a D.Sc. from the University of Tasmania, Australia, in 2001; at the time she was 64 years old. Shea became an emeritus scientist at the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories. In 2018, the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of New Hampshire honored her with the Distinguished Alumni Award and an honorary degree. As of 2021, she is co-editor for special issues of Advances in Space Research.

Research Shea is known for her research connecting cosmic rays, solar particles, and the Earth's magnetic field. Her research on vertical cutoff rigidities led to the development of a computer program, the Geomagnetic Cutoff Rigidity Computer Program, which set the standard for the amount of radiation that pilots and astronauts can encounter. Shea's research includes an investigation into the Solar storm of August 1972 which set off a Coronal mass ejection, magnetized clouds of gas, which caused mines to detonate in Vietnam. Shea has also worked on solar cosmic ray events in ice and considered the changes in solar proton events over the time period from 1561 to 1950, which included comparisons to the Carrington Event, a solar flare that occurred in September 1859.

Selected publications Shea, M. A.; Smart, D. F.; McCracken, K. G. (1965-09-01). "A study of vertical cutoff rigidities using sixth degree simulations of the geomagnetic field". Journal of Geophysical Research. 70 (17): 4117–4130. Bibcode:1965JGR....70.4117S. doi:10.1029/JZ070i017p04117. hdl:2027/mdp.39015095127786. Shea, M. A.; Smart, D. F. (1990). "A summary of major solar proton events". Solar Physics. 127 (2): 297–320. Bibcode:1990SoPh..127..297S. doi:10.1007/BF00152170. ISSN 0038-0938. S2CID 120707293. Tylka, A.J.; Adams, J.H.; Boberg, P.R.; Brownstein, B.; Dietrich, W.F.; Flueckiger, E.O.; Petersen, E.L.; Shea, M.A.; Smart, D.F.; Smith, E.C. (1997). "CREME96: A Revision of the Cosmic Ray Effects on Micro-Electronics Code". IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science. 44 (6): 2150–2160. doi:10.1109/23.659030. ISSN 0018-9499. Shea, M.A. (2000). "Fifty years of cosmic radiation data". Space Science Reviews. 93 (1/2): 229–262. Bibcode:2000SSRv...93..229S. doi:10.1023/A:1026500713452. S2CID 189770159. Shea, M.A.; Smart, D.F.; McCracken, K.G.; Dreschhoff, G.A.M.; Spence, H.E. (2006). "Solar proton events for 450 years: The Carrington event in perspective". Advances in Space Research. 38 (2): 232–238. Bibcode:2006AdSpR..38..232S. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.02.100.

Awards and honors Soviet Union, Academy of Science Medal Guenter Loeser Memorial Award (1985) Waldo E. Smith Medal, American Geophysical Union (1988) Fellow, American Geophysical Union (1988) Foreign Associate, Royal Astronomical Society (1991) Corresponding member, International Academy of Astronautics (1995) Committee on Space Research, Distinguished Service Medal (2010) Distinguished Alumni, University of New Hampshire (2018) Eugene Parker Lecture, American Geophysical Union (2019)

Personal life Shea is married to Don Smart, a fellow space scientist.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Margaret Shea (scientist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Margaret Shea (scientist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Margaret Shea (scientist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Margaret Shea (scientist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Margaret Shea (scientist)

In research: Margaret Shea (scientist) appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Margaret Shea (scientist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Margaret Shea (scientist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fellows of the American Geophysical Union, Living people, University of New Hampshire alumni, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Margaret Shea (scientist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Margaret Shea (scientist)” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Margaret Shea (scientist) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Margaret Shea (scientist) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Margaret Shea (scientist) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Margaret Shea (scientist) in simple terms?

Margaret Ann ("Peggy") Shea is a space scientist known for research on the connections between cosmic radiation and Earth's magnetic field. Education and career Shea graduated from Portsmouth High School (New Hampshire) in 1954 and was the top student in her high school math and physics classes.

Why does Margaret Shea (scientist) matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Margaret Shea (scientist)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Margaret Shea (scientist).