SHINE: Instability of Large-Scale Current Sheets, Plasmoid Formation, and Particle Acceleration in Coronal Plasmas

SHINE：大尺度电流片的不稳定性、等离子体团的形成以及日冕等离子体中的粒子加速

• 批准号: 0962698
• 负责人: Amitava Bhattacharjee
• 金额: $ 37.91万
• 依托单位: University of New Hampshire
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-04-01 至 2013-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0962698&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SHINE; Instability; Large; Scale; Current

The Principal Investigator (PI) will study magnetic reconnection as a fundamental and ubiquitous process in solar coronal plasmas. Fast magnetic reconnection is widely believed to play an important role in triggering eruptive solar flares and accelerating solar energetic particles (SEPs). Using resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and electromagnetic particle simulations, this project will investigate the connection between the so-called 'super-Alfvénic instability' (also known as the 'plasmoid instability') of extended current sheets and the onset and dynamics of eruptive flares. This effort will include studies of the saturation mechanisms for the plasmoid instability, the role of the instability in loss-of-equilibrium models, and the effect of self-consistently generated plasma turbulence. The PI will also study the relative importance of collisional and collisionless reconnection regimes, as well as the transition between them, in controlling the rapid onset of eruptive flares. He will then use fully kinetic electromagnetic particle simulations to investigate the role of magnetic reconnection and multiple plasmoid formation in accelerating particles to high energies. Finally, the PI will compare the predictions of his theory and modeling efforts with observations made by spacecraft. This project will utilize state-of-the-art high performance computing tools and develop interdisciplinary applications for the study of laboratory and space plasmas. The effort will integrate teaching and research in a university environment, involving postdoctoral research scientists and a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. thesis. The PI will also help educate high school students in a summer institute at the University of New Hampshire known as 'Project SMART' (Science and Mathematics Achievement through Research Training). Project SMART provides exciting research experiences for local high school students in New Hampshire.

首席研究员（PI）将研究磁场重联作为太阳日冕等离子体中一个基本和普遍存在的过程。快速磁重联被广泛认为在触发爆发性太阳耀斑和加速太阳高能粒子（SEP）方面起着重要作用。利用电阻磁流体动力学（MHD）和电磁粒子模拟，该项目将研究扩展电流片的所谓“超阿尔夫文不稳定性”（也称为“等离子体不稳定性”）与爆发耀斑的发生和动力学之间的联系。这项工作将包括等离子体团不稳定性的饱和机制的研究，在失去平衡模型的不稳定性的作用，以及自洽产生的等离子体湍流的影响。PI还将研究碰撞和无碰撞重联制度的相对重要性，以及它们之间的过渡，在控制爆发耀斑的快速爆发。 然后，他将使用完全动力学的电磁粒子模拟来研究磁重联和多个等离子体团形成在加速粒子到高能量中的作用。最后，PI将把他的理论和建模工作的预测与航天器的观测结果进行比较。该项目将利用最先进的高性能计算工具，为实验室和空间等离子体研究开发跨学科应用。这项工作将在大学环境中整合教学和研究，涉及博士后研究科学家和攻读博士学位的研究生。论文PI还将在新罕布什尔州大学的一个暑期研究所帮助教育高中生，该研究所被称为“SMART项目”（通过研究培训取得科学和数学成就）。Project SMART为新罕布什尔州的当地高中生提供了令人兴奋的研究体验。