Christian Moestl

The 2016 Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Young Scientists is awarded to Christian Moestl for his outstanding contributions to the understanding of coronal mass ejections, their 3D structure, their propagation in the heliosphere, and their effects at Earth.

In his short career so far Christian Moestl has made outstanding contributions to the subject of coronal mass ejections, including their 3D structure and global shape, their propagation in the inner heliosphere, their effects at Earth, and their mutual interactions during periods of enhanced solar activity. This multi-faceted research entails the analysis and interpretation of solar, coronagraphic, heliospheric and near-planetary observations, acquired both remotely as well as in-situ. The in-situ measurements themselves often include data returned by various spacecraft widely spread out in the inner heliosphere. This synergy of data has given us a much broader view of how these major harbingers of disturbances in the terrestrial environment develop from Sun to Earth.
Complementary to this, Moestl has produced key research aimed at real-time predictions of space weather at Earth. His initiative and wide grasp of many aspects of solar and interplanetary physics has led him to introduce a number of innovative analysis techniques and extend the scope of old ones, which have greatly enriched the subject. His work has opened new vistas with far-reaching implications for our efforts to unite solar phenomena with their interplanetary manifestations and planetary impacts. During this work he established collaborations with leading scientists at space research centres all over the world.
Aside from producing an enviable research record, Moestl is deeply committed to sharing his knowledge with a wider audience. Thus, he is very active in organising sessions at international conferences and in giving talks on the subject to the general public. In summary, Moestl is not only one of the leading exponents of European geosciences in the world but also one conscious of the duties of scientists to the general welfare.