astronomy

T. Neil Davis

T. Neil Davis 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 T. Neil Davis rather than just read about it. In short: Thomas Neil Davis (February 1, 1932 – December 10, 2016) was an American professor of geophysics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the author of several books. Born in Greeley, Colorado, Davis received his B.S in geophysics from University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1955, an M.S. in geophysics from California Institute of Technology in 1957, and a Ph.D. in geophysics from University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1961.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Thomas Neil Davis (February 1, 1932 – December 10, 2016) was an American professor of geophysics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the author of several books. Born in Greeley, Colorado, Davis received his B.S in geophysics from University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1955, an M.S. in geophysics from California Institute of Technology in 1957, and a Ph.D. in geophysics from University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1961. Davis spent most of his working career at the Geophysical Institute, pioneering the use of all-sky and low-level light cameras for the study of the aurora borealis and conducting rocket studies of the aurora. With Masahisa Sugiura (while both were at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) he introduced the AE (auroral electrojet) index now commonly used as a measure of solar-terrestrial interaction. A student of Beno Gutenberg and Charles Richter at Caltech, he also has done work in observational seismology.

Books and publications

Fiction 2004. The Great Alaska Zingwater Caper. McRoy & Blackburn, Publishers. 1997. Battling Against Success. McRoy & Blackburn, Publishers. 1994. Caught in the Sluice. McRoy & Blackburn, Publishers.

Nonfiction 2011. The Painting on the Window Blind: the story of an unknown artist and a daring Civil War spy. IUniverse. 2008. Mired in the Health Care Morass: An Alaskan Takes on America's Dysfunctional Medical System for his Uninsured Daughter. Alaska-Yukon Press and Ester Republic Press. 2006. Rockets Over Alaska: The Genesis of Poker Flat. Alaska-Yukon Press. 2001. Permafrost. A guide to frozen ground in transition. University of Alaska Press. 1993. The College Hill Chronicles. How the University of Alaska Came of Age. University of Alaska Foundation. 1992. The Aurora Watcher's Handbook. University of Alaska Press. 1984. ENERGY/ALASKA. University of Alaska Press. 1982. Alaska Science Nuggets. University of Alaska Press.

Columns 2007–2011. "Dose of Reality": monthly column appearing in The Ester Republic. 1976–1982. "Alaska Science Nuggets": weekly science column appearing in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

References

Sources Neil Davis' webpage[link removed] health issues blog University of Alaska Stories Behind the Names Neil Davis helped propel UAF with unlikely homemade rocket range

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with T. Neil Davis

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what T. Neil Davis 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 T. Neil Davis 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 T. Neil Davis 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 T. Neil Davis

In research: T. Neil Davis 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 T. Neil Davis 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: T. Neil Davis is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1932 births, 2016 deaths, Alaska people stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for T. Neil Davis 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.

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How to study T. Neil Davis in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is T. Neil Davis in simple terms?

Why does T. Neil Davis 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 T. Neil Davis?

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 T. Neil Davis.