Richard A. Schwartz (1952–2020)

Brian Dennis

doi:10.3847/25c2cfeb.378e790f

Abstract

Schwartz was involved in the analysis of data from almost every space mission that has made high energy X-ray and gamma-ray observations of solar flares, most notably as the scientist responsible for the software used to analyze data from RHESSI.

Highlights

Richard Schwartz died unexpectedly at his home in Lanham, Maryland
These flights provided the first high resolution X-ray observations of solar flares made with an array of cooled germanium planar detectors and a phoswich scintillator
Richard’s analysis showed conclusively, for the first time, that the flare impulsive hard X-ray spectrum cannot be produced by thermal bremsstrahlung, strongly implying the acceleration of electrons to energies in excess of 200 keV. His analysis revealed the flare size distribution down to what are called microflares, and a steep X-ray spectrum at energies below 35 keV from what has, ever since, been dubbed the “superhot component.”. After completing his Ph.D., Richard worked for a couple of years at JPL with the astrophysics group analyzing gamma-ray burst observations made with the GammaRay Spectroscopy instrument on the High-Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO 3)

Summary

Introduction

Richard Schwartz died unexpectedly at his home in Lanham, Maryland. he had been sick for over a month, he was preparing to begin chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, so his sudden passing was a great shock. Richard Alan Schwartz died on Saturday the 12th of December 2020. Richard Schwartz died unexpectedly at his home in Lanham, Maryland. Richard was born on March 5th in 1952 and raised in Mayfield Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio.

Results

Conclusion