Magnetic Reconnection in High-Energy-Density Environements

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。该奖项的主题是关于磁场接近并超过40 TerraGauss的量子临界场的磁重联的理论研究。这是一个基本的等离子体物理问题，在高能天体物理中有着重要的应用。具体地说，这项研究可能是理解磁星耀斑和伽马射线爆发的中央引擎工作原理的关键。当这样一个强磁场消散时，重联层内相应的等离子体能量密度足够高，人们预计会出现惊人的对子产生、辐射和对压控制以及强烈的辐射冷却。此外，大的对密度会使层变得很厚，因此这个问题在一定程度上变成了辐射输运问题。所有这些因素意味着，这项研究中感兴趣的物理环境与目前为止研究磁重联的传统环境有很大不同。这些区域的物质和能量的行为在实验室里是无法获得的。这项研究横跨天体物理、粒子物理、高能量密度物理和等离子体物理。它可能会增加我们对伽马射线暴的理解，伽马射线暴是宇宙中最强大的爆炸。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).A theoretical study of magnetic reconnection involving magnetic field approaching and exceeding the quantum critical field of 40 terraGauss is the subject of this award. This is a fundamental plasma physics problem with important applications in high-energy astrophysics. Specifically, this research may be key to understanding magnetar flares and the workings of the central engines of gamma-ray bursts. When such a strong field is dissipated, the corresponding plasma energy density inside the reconnection layer is high enough that one expects prodigious pair creation, radiation- and pair-pressure domination and a strong radiative cooling. Furthermore, the large pair density can make the layer optically thick and so the problem becomes in part a radiative transport problem. All these factors mean that the physical regime of interest in this research differs greatly from the traditional environments in which magnetic reconnection has so far been investigated. The behavior of matter and energy in such regions are inaccessible in the laboratory. The research spans astrophysics, particle physics, high energy density physics, and plasma physics. It may increase our understanding of gamma ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe.