by
DrAndris Vaivads(Swedish Institute of Space Physics), DrStefano Markidis(PDC - KTH)
→
Europe/Stockholm
132:028
132:028
Description
Plasma is found everywhere in Universe and magnetic reconnection is a
fundamental physical process that is widely studied in different
astrophysical, space and laboratory plasmas. Reconnection can occur almost
everywhere where strong currents flow in plasma. Two key properties
motivate the importance of reconnection studies. First, reconnection leads
to topological changes of magnetic field on a large scale; for example,
this allows solar wind plasma to enter planetary magnetospheres or tokamak
plasma to escape the confinement regions during major disruptions.
Secondly, reconnection leads to plasma heating and acceleration of
energetic electrons and ions; for example, the plasma in the Earth
magnetotail is heated up to the temperature of the order of 100 MK and
energetic particles can be accelerated up to MeV energies. The
understanding of the physical mechanisms of acceleration and heating is of
fundamental importance. During the seminar will be presented some recent
progress in our understanding of these plasma heating and acceleration
processes based on in situ experimental and numerical simulation data. In
situ data from plasmas in the space near Earth and other planets, as well
as in the solar wind, will be presented. The numerical techniques and the
simulation set-up to model magnetic reconnection in plasmas will be
described. Examples of reconnection in laboratory, solar and astrophysical
plasmas will be also shown. Finally, future challenges in the field of
magnetic reconnection will be discussed.
