John Adam (1974), Rashpal Gil (1982), Blanca Mendoza (1984), Philip Judge (1985), Graham Harper (1988), Mark Munday (1990), Stefan Weber (1993), Andy Rowe (1996), Debby Phillipides (1996),Neil Griffiths (1996), Andrew McMurry (1997), Tetsuo Amaya (1999), Graemy Smith (2000), Stuard Sim (2002)
Her PhD studies under C. W. Allen opened up a new field in atomic physics and included identification of iron and other lines in the solar extreme ultra-violet spectrum and the ZETA experiment, early ionisation-balance calculations, development of density-diagnostic methods using the iron lines, calculation of relative element abundances and modelling from emission-measure distributions.[8]
Her first paper on coronal research, "The Relative Abundance of Silicon Iron and Nickel in the Solar Corona" was published in 1965.[9]
Jordan calculated the ionisation balance of elements, including the effects of density-dependent di-electronic recombination, level populations in ions, and combined this with observational results from the Sun and stars. As a result of her work on the Skylab ultraviolet spectra the understanding of He-like ions was further developed. This had implications for the development of applications, like X-ray lasers. The electron density diagnostics, and temperature density diagnostics, when combined with the emission measure analysis developed by her yielded new insights in the chromospheres of cool stars, T Tauri Stars, and the Sun, to name a few. The 1970 solar eclipse allowed her the identification of previously unknown forbidden lines in the Sun. Following the launch of the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite in 1978, she turned her attention to stellar corona and chromospheric activity. Her knowledge of solar activity enabled her to help develop this new branch of astrophysics and identify many elements in stellar spectra as well. Since about 1980, she has been a key member of nearly every team, in the UK, Europe and the US, concerned with the development and use of instruments for the studies of ultra-violet and x-rayspectra of the Sun and of the stars.[10]
Assistant Lecturer, Department of Astronomy, UCL, attached to the Spectroscopy Division of UKAEACulham Laboratory, 1966–69
During this time, she completed her ionisation-balance calculations and the identification of some forbidden lines and satellite lines. In 1969, she started to devise methods to obtain the structure of the solar transition region.
University of Oxford: reader in physics, 1994–96, professor of physics 1996-, head of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, 2003–2008, emeritus professor 2008 -.
She has published papers on astrophysical plasma spectroscopy and structure and energy balance in cool star coronae.
Dame Carole Jordan has her picture displayed with the National Portrait Gallery as a recognition for her career achievements.[12]
Member of the Science and Engineering Research Council, 1985-90 (Chairman, Solar System Committee, 1983–86; Member, Astronomy, Space and Radio Board, 1979–86; Member, Astronomy and Planetary Science Board, 1986–90)
^Account of presentation of Gold medal: "2005 April 7 meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society". The Observatory. 125: 294–295. October 2005. Bibcode:2005Obs...125..294.