Meet: Chris Johns-Krull

Who I Am
My official job title is Assistant Research Physicist. More specifically, I am an astrophysicist - I apply the laws of physics in an effort to understand stars. I am particularly interested in studying low mass (equal to or lower than the Sun's mass) stars and the source of their activity as they evolve from newly formed stars to middle age such as the Sun. Activity generally refers to phenomena such as flare, coronal mass ejections, X-ray emission, the appearance of spots, and other phenomena related to the magnetic fields that appear on these stars. In relation to HESSI, I will be studying X-ray emission from solar flares. Solar flares are the very rapid release of energy stored in the magnetic fields of the solar corona - the tenuous but very hot outer layer of the Sun which will be visible during the eclipse. The X-rays are produced by electrons that are energized by the flare. By understanding how these electrons are energized, we may better understand how flares occur and how to forecast them. What I actually do in the course of this work is spend most of my time in front of my computer, analyzing the data I have either collected at a telescope or that has been collected for me by a satellite.

My Career Journey
I decided I wanted to study astronomy and astrophysics when I was 9 years old. At that age, my father gave me a telescope for Christmas, and I fell in love with astronomy. To prepare for this career, I went to college and obtained a BS in physics and a BA in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin. I then went to the University of California at Berkeley to pursue my PhD. After graduating from Berkeley, I spent 3 years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

What I Like About My Job
The most positive aspect of my career is that I get to do something I truly love to do. I basically get to decide what I want to work on, so I am able to choose things that really interest me. My career also involves a lot of travel to many interesting places such as Europe and Hawaii, which is a lot of fun. The most rewarding part of my career is that every now and then, I get to discover something new. The most negative aspect of my career is that I am currently in what is known as a soft money position. This means that I have to apply for grants from various agencies such as NASA and the National Science Foundation to support my research. As a result, I may know that I will have money for my salary for up to 3 years, but generally I will never know that I will get paid for longer than that.

When I was a Child
My main hobby growing up was being an amateur astronomer. I spent countless hours peering through my telescope in my backyard. I also was a member of the Dallas Astronomical Society, and spent many hours with my fellow club members in the very dark skies outside of Kaufman, Texas - a small town near Dallas - peering through many telescopes at the wonders of the universe. I read a lot of books on astronomy, but my favorite books at this time were the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.

Many people helped me pursue my dream of becoming an astronomer, but the most influential person in me deciding to do what I do was Carl Sagan and his television show Cosmos.

My Two Cents Worth
It is a very rewarding career that takes a lot of hard work and dedication. To pursue an astronomical career, you need to learn a lot of math and science; however, the most important part of being a scientist, is truly loving science and the wonder and beauty of the universe.

Where I See Myself Later
In the future, I will still be doing astrophysical research, but it is impossible to know exactly what the subject of that research will be. In addition to research, I hope I will have the opportunity to teach as well, hopefully at a college or university. It is my continuing goal to be able to discover something new, which is one of the purest goals of science.

Personal
I am 32 years old and married to Kelle Johns-Krull. We have 3 cats (Ballisitic, Tigger, and Emmett) and 2 dogs (Millie and Winnie). I love to read, go backpacking, downhill and cross-country skiing. Recently, I have taken a watercolor class and have been painting in my spare time.