physics

Michael Mendillo

Michael Mendillo is a physics 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 Michael Mendillo rather than just read about it. In short: Michael Mendillo is a professor of astronomy at Boston University. His primary research interests include space physics, planetary atmospheres, observations and models.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Michael Mendillo is a professor of astronomy at Boston University. His primary research interests include space physics, planetary atmospheres, observations and models. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and a longtime member of the American Astronomical Society.

Biography In 1966, Mendillo received his B.S. in physics from Providence College. In 1971, Mendillo received his Ph.D. from Boston University in physics and astronomy. Mendillo became a professor of astronomy at Boston University in 1985, where he presently works.

Research Mendillo leads a research group that has developed new imaging techniques for observations of emissions from the atmospheres of the Earth, other planets and moons. With the help of his research group, Mendillo led the discoveries of extraordinary large, tenuous atmospheres of sodium gas on Jupiter, on the Moon and in comet Hale–Bopp. He is also known for his work on Active Experiments, the research technique of introducing known gaseous perturbations into space plasmas, observing the effects, and deriving the basic physical processes that govern the system.

Selected publications Mendillo, M (2006). "Storms in the Ionosphere: Patterns and Processes for Total Electron Content". Reviews of Geophysics. 47 (4) 2005RG000193. Bibcode:2006RvGeo..44.4001M. doi:10.1029/2005RG000193. S2CID 17109411. Retrieved 17 September 2021. Martinis, Carlos; Mendillo, Michael; Aarons, J (2005). "Toward a synthesis of equatorial spread-F (ESF) onset and suppression during geomagnetic storms" (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research. 110 (A7) 2003JA010362. Bibcode:2005JGRA..110.7306M. doi:10.1029/2003JA010362. Retrieved 17 September 2021. Mendillo, Michael; Laurent, Sophie; Wilson, Jody; Baumgardner, Jeffrey; Konrad, Janusz; Karl, W (2007). "The sources of sodium escaping from Io revealed by spectral high definition imaging". Nature. 448 (7151): 330–332. Bibcode:2007Natur.448..330M. doi:10.1038/nature06000. PMID 17637664. S2CID 4363671. Retrieved 17 September 2021. Mendillo, Michael; Withers, Paul; Hinson, David; Rishbeth, Henry; Reinisch, Bobo (2006). "Effects of solar flares on the ionosphere of Mars". Science. 311 (5764): 1135–1138. Bibcode:2006Sci...311.1135M. doi:10.1126/science.1122099. PMID 16497929. S2CID 8164778. Mendillo, Michael; Baumgardner, Jeffrey (1995). "Contraints on the origin of the Moon's atmosphere from observations during a solar eclipse". Nature. 377 (6548): 404–406. doi:10.1038/377404a0. PMID 7566115. S2CID 4332773. Mendillo, M (2005). "Effects of ring shadowing on the detection of electrostatic discharges at Saturn" (PDF). Geophysical Research Letters. 32 (5) 2004GL021934. Bibcode:2005GeoRL..32.5107M. doi:10.1029/2004GL021934. S2CID 17506190. Retrieved 18 September 2021. Schmidt, Carl; Wilson, Jody; Baumgardne, Jeffrey; Mendillo, Michael (2010). "Orbital effects on Mercury's escaping sodium exosphere". Icarus. 207 (1): 9–16. Bibcode:2010Icar..207....9S. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.10.017. Retrieved 18 September 2021.

References

External links Mendillo's CSP Profile

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Michael Mendillo

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Michael Mendillo claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, 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 Michael Mendillo 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 Michael Mendillo 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 Michael Mendillo

In research: Michael Mendillo appears in physics 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 Michael Mendillo 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: Michael Mendillo is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American physicists, Boston University alumni, Boston University faculty, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Michael Mendillo 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.

Affiliate

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

How to study Michael Mendillo in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Michael Mendillo 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 Michael Mendillo out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Michael Mendillo in simple terms?

Michael Mendillo is a professor of astronomy at Boston University. His primary research interests include space physics, planetary atmospheres, observations and models.

Why does Michael Mendillo matter?

Because it connects several physics 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 Michael Mendillo?

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 Michael Mendillo.