Athanasios Kouloumvakos

“We all have our time machines, don’t we. Those that take us back are memories and those that carry us forward, are dreams.” — H.G. Wells, 1866-1946

Bellow you can find a brief curriculum vitae. For a more extended version see the PDF file here.

Education / Positions

The Johns Hopkins University - Applied Physics Laboratory, Maryland, USA
Senior Professional Staff I, (Jun. 2023 - now)
Post Doctoral Researcher, (Mar. 2022 - Jun. 2023)

Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Toulouse, France
Post Doctoral Researcher, (Feb. 2018 - Feb. 2022)

University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Ph.D. in Physics, (Apr. 2013 - Jan. 2018)
Dissertation: “Study of Shock Waves in the Solar Corona and Interplanetary Space”.
Supervisor: A. Nindos, Associate Professor

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
M.Sc. in Physics, (Oct. 2010 - Feb. 2013)
Specialization: “Astrophysics, Astronomy & Mechanics”
Thesis: “Study of coronal Shock Waves evolution from combined recordings of ARTEMIS-IV radiospectograph and observations of STEREO mission.”
Supervisor: P. Preka, Assistant Professor

University of Patras, Patra, Greece
Bachelor in Physics (Sep. 2004 - March 2010)
Thesis: “Photometric study, of Solar Sunspots during the 23rd solar cycle from So.H.O. images”
Supervisor: X. Moussas, Emeritus Professor and V. Zafeiropoulos, Emeritus Professor

Research Experience

The Johns Hopkins University - Applied Physics Laboratory, Maryland, USA
Research scientist for the IS⊙IS Energetic Particle Instrument (EPI) - Lo instrument onboard Parker Solar Probe (Apr. 2023 - now)
Research scientist for the Suprathermal Ion Spectrograph (SIS) instrument onboard Solar Orbiter (Mar. 2022 - now)

Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Toulouse, France
Post Doctoral Researcher (Feb. 2018 - Feb. 2022)
Research Projects: “COROSHOCK”, “EUHFORIA 2.0”, “SERPENTINE”
Advisor: Dr. A. Rouillard, Permanent Researcher, CNRS, IRAP

National Observatory of Athens, Athens, Greece
Research Assistant (Aug. 2015 - Jan. 2016)
Research Project: “FORecasting Solar Particle Events and Flares (FORSPEF)”
Advisor: Dr. Anastasios Anastasiadis, Research Director, IAASARS of the National Observatory of Athens.

University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Research Assistant (Jul. 2013 - Nov. 2015)
Research Project: “Hellenic National Space Weather Research Network”
Advisors: A. Nindos, Associate Professor, UOI; S. Patsourakos, Assistant Professor, UOI
Graduate Researcher (Febr. 2011 - Jun. 2013)
Research Project: “SEPServer: Data Services and Analysis Tools for Solar Energetic Particle Events and Related Electromagnetic Emissions”
Advisor: A. Nindos, Associate Professor, University of Ioannina.

Publications

I have co-authored 45+ publications in peer-reviewed journals, with a total number of citations 1000+ and an H-Index 19. I have 10 publications as a first author, with total number of citations 200+, five of which in The Astrophysical Journal with impact factor 5.75 and three in Astronoy & Astrophysics with an impact fac- tor 6.24. I have co-authored one publication in Nature with an impact factor 69.5. More details in my publications page or in my ADS library.

Other Work Experience

Assistant for the “Geometrical Processing of Satellite Images” Department, at the Ground Satellite Station of Tanagra Military Airport, during the compulsory military service (Mar. 2017-Sep. 2017).

Editing services for the production of three Greek academic textbooks (in astronomy, astrophysics and solar physics) for “Kallipos” programm (http://www.kallipos.gr/) of the National Technical University of Athens (May 2015-Dec. 2015).

Services & Activities

Review panelist for NASA’s Heliophysics Supporting Research program.

Research visitor in The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (one week in 2018 and two weeks in 2019) in preparation for first Parker Solar Probe observations.

Member of the “Modelling and Data Analysis Working Group (MADAWG)” for the Solar Orbiter (ESA/NASA) mission and the “Parker Solar Probe Theory Group” for the Parker Solar Probe (NASA) mission.

Peer-Reviewe for Journals

  • The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics (A&A)
  • Solar Physics
  • Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate (JSWSC)

Producer of “PyThea” an open-source software package to perform coronal mass ejection (CME) and shock wave 3D reconstruction using multi-viewpoint remote-sensing observations.

Participation in the proposal writing for the following funded research projects:

  1. EUropean Heliospheric FORecasting Information Asset (“EUHFORIA2.0”; EU/H2020).
  2. Solar EneRgetic ParticlE aNalysis plaTform for the INner hEliosphere (“SERPENTINE”; EU/H2020).

Invited co-researcher in:

  1. “High EneRgy sOlar partICle events analysis (HEROIC)”} international team led by Dr. A. Papaioannou and the workshop hosted by the International Space Science Institute (ISSI, Bern, Switzerland, 2018).
  2. “The Solar Sources of GeV Gamma-Rays” working group and the workshop hosted by the Lorentz center (Leiden Netherlands, 2018).

Organizing committee member of the:

  1. “Multi-Wavelength Studies of the Solar Atmosphere: Celebrating the Career of Costas Alissandrakis”, International Solar Physics Conference, Ioannina, Greece 2015.
  2. 5th Hellenic Conference for Amateur Astronomy, Patras, October 2007.
  3. “The Antikythera Mechanism exhibition”, Patras, April 2009.

Member of the governing board (2005-2009) of the Astronomical Association of Patras “Orion”.