Science and Engineering Council of Santa Barbara
April Luncheon
at
The Elephant Bar Restaurant
Thursday, April 8, 2004 12:00-1:30 PM

INTERFERENCE PROBLEMS?
How the Sun Affects Our Technology

Technological systems, known to be sensitive to high-energy radiation, can undergo perturbations resulting from solar activity. While sunspots have been studied for centuries, only recently have we begun to understand the impact of the sun's high-energy radiation. Monitoring satellites and improved modeling have yielded copious information about the solar processes, such as the 11-year sunspot cycle, that creates disturbances on Earth. This talk will give examples of how technological systems can be interrupted by solar weather and shed new light on the solutions being developed.

Weather permitting (of the Earth, that is), there will also be viewing of solar activity through a hydrogen-alpha solar telescope recently acquired by the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (the local astronomy club) and Santa Barbara Natural History Museum. 

------PRESENTER------

William A. Radasky, PhD., P.E.
President, Metatech Corporation
www.metatechcorp.com

Dr. William Radasky is the President of Metatech Corporation, which he founded in Goleta in 1984. Metatech provides research and development services to government and industry with emphasis on the protection of electronic equipment from the effects of transient electromagnetic fields. Over the past six years the company has evaluated the impact of solar storms on electric power grids.

Dr. Radasky holds a B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an M.S.E.E, from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UCSB, with a specialization in electromagnetic theory and applications. In addition, Dr. Radasky is licensed as a Professional Electrical Engineer in the State of California.  

------OTHER INFO------

$12 for SEC members; $15 for non-members.
Information: Barbara Keaney (E-mail: scieng@silcom.com or call 805-684-4927) or
Tim Murphy (Email: timothy_murphy@urscorp.com or tel: 805-964-6010 ext.336).
Reservations NOT required.
Elephant Bar Restaurant: 521 Firestone Road.
Website: http://www.scieng.org

From the Co-Presidents: We are pleased to present this month’s presentation on space weather effects, an increasingly relevant topic for our daily lives. Also, please mark your calendars for May 13, when SEC will present its annual Science Fair awards to several very talented individuals from our community. We believe that you will be pleasantly surprised by the high quality and diversity of the work being done by our local students. We encourage you to visit all of their displays on April 7 between 10AM to 3PM and 7PM to 9PM at the Santa Barbara County Education Office Auditorium. Other upcoming events are listed on our website www.scieng.org.

Tim Murphy