CAREER: Kinetic Theory and Simulation of Magnetospheric Plasmas

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Abstract

The large-scale evolution of the magnetosphere is strongly influenced by fairly small transition regions such as the ion-scale current layers at the magnetopause and within the magnetotail. One of the major obstacles to developing models of the magnetosphere is that the plasma physics in these regions is not well understood. There is clear evidence that both ion and electron kinetic physics can play an important role within these current layers. Research on this subject has been hampered by the computational difficulty of performing realistic kinetic simulations and the theoretical challenge of accurately computing the linear stability of the plasma within these regions. This project will employ a variety of theoretical approaches and advanced kinetic simulations to overcome these limitations and arrive at an improved understanding of current sheets within the magnetosphere. The effort will use a balanced approach comprised of linear kinetic theory, parallel kinetic simulations using proven methods, and research into advanced simulation techniques that may offer significant advantages in solving these difficult problems. Particular applications of interest will include the onset and development of magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause and within the magnetotail, and the role of electron physics in the slow-mode shocks that are expected to form as part of the reconnection layer. The theoretical results will be compared with satellite observations. The scientific results will have broader impacts because the physics of current sheets and associated processes such as magnetic reconnection are of importance in a wide range of applications in space, astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. The project will also have a strong educational component and dissemination of new scientific knowledge and simulation codes to other researchers in space and laboratory plasmas. The research program is integrated with both undergraduate and graduate level education. This program will aid in the establishment of the Plasma Simulation Facility at the University of Iowa, which will be used for both teaching and research. The educational program is further enhanced by a student internship agreement with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Students will have access to some of the most advanced computing facilities in the world and the opportunity to interact with leading experts in the area of plasma simulation.