Dr. Alan M. Title, Principal Scientist at the
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in Palo Alto
has received the Hale Prize from the American Astronomical Society. The
award, an Honorary Prize in memory of George Ellery Hale, is conferred once
every two years to a scientist for outstanding contributions, over an
extended period of time, to the field of solar astronomy. The Hale Prize is
an endowed prize that comes with a certificate, a medal, and an honorarium.
Dr. Title is the first recipient of the prize to be associated with a
private company.

The citation, issued on June 7, 2001 at the American Astronomical Society
meeting in Pasadena, reads: “For exceptional leadership in developing
multiple high resolution telescopes and interpreting their data to advance
our understanding of the Sun, and for his generous public service on behalf
of the solar and solar terrestrial communities.”

In August 2000, Alan Title was presented a NASA Public Service Award for
outstanding science achievement and vital contributions to NASA’s scientific
research programs. Dr. Title has been with the company since 1971. He
currently is the US Principal Investigator responsible for development of
the Focal Plane Instrument Package on the Japanese Solar-B mission. The
primary goal of the Solar-B mission, scheduled for launch in 2005, is to
understand the physical processes responsible for dynamics and heating of
the outer solar atmosphere. The Focal Plane Instrument Package for the
Solar-B optical telescope will provide precise measurements of the vector
magnetic field, vertical and horizontal flow dynamics, and thermal
conditions upwards from the solar photosphere into the chromosphere.

The Solar-B mission is a Japanese project with significant instrument
development and scientific support from NASA and the United Kingdom. It is a
successor to the Yohkoh (Solar-A) mission for which LM developed the SXT
instrument that continues to provide excellent data on the evolution of the
solar cycle.

He is also the Principal Investigator for NASA’s solar telescope on the
Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) mission. The TRACE telescope
was developed under Title’s direction at the ATC. Since its launch on April
1, 1998, TRACE has provided millions of images that reveal activity in the
solar atmosphere in stunning detail and include the first detailed
observations of a magnetic energy release, called a magnetic reconnection.

TRACE also enables study of the evolution of events, such as massive
flarings and huge eruptions, in the Sun’s atmosphere. These events originate
at the Sun’s visible surface, the photosphere, and travel upward through its
atmosphere (chromosphere and transition region) and then into its super-hot
corona before speeding out into space, sometimes towards Earth.

Additionally, Title serves as a Co-Investigator responsible for the
Michelson-Doppler Imager (MDI) science instrument on the NASA-European Space
Agency Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). MDI, also designed and
built at the ATC, uses optical techniques to measure shaking at the visible
surface of the Sun that yields insight into activity and structure deep in
the solar interior. Dr. Title’s research has centered on Solar magnetic and
velocity fields, on optical interferometers in particular ultra narrow
optical filters, on high-resolution observations using active and adaptive
optical systems, and on data analysis systems for image analysis.
Additionally, he has led the development of ground and space based
instruments for solar physics research. Prior to coming to Lockheed, Alan
Title was a Research Associate at Harvard University from 1967-71 and a
National
Academy of Sciences Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory from 1966-67.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, headquartered in Denver, Colo., is
one of the major operating units of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space
Systems designs, develops, tests, manufactures, and operates a variety of
advanced technology systems for military, civil and commercial customers.
Chief products include a full-range of space launch systems, including
heavy-lift capability, ground systems, remote sensing and communications
satellites for commercial and government customers, advanced space
observatories and interplanetary spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and
missile defense systems.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise
principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, and
integration of advanced-technology systems, products, and services. The
Corporation’s core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics,
and technology services. Employing more than 140,000 people worldwide,
Lockheed Martin had 2000 sales surpassing $25 billion.

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website at
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