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

首席研究员(PI)将研究磁重联作为日冕等离子体中的一个基本和普遍的过程。人们普遍认为，快速磁场重联在引发太阳耀斑和加速太阳高能粒子(SEP)方面发挥了重要作用。这个项目将利用磁流体动力学(MHD)和电磁粒子模拟，研究扩展电流片的所谓“超Alfvénic不稳定性”(也称为“等离子体不稳定”)与耀斑爆发的开始和动力学之间的联系。这项工作将包括研究等离子体不稳定的饱和机制，不稳定在平衡损失模型中的作用，以及自洽产生的等离子体湍流的影响。PI还将研究碰撞和非碰撞重联机制的相对重要性，以及它们之间的过渡，以控制爆发耀斑的快速爆发。然后，他将使用全动态电磁粒子模拟来研究磁重联和多个等离子体形成在将粒子加速到高能方面所起的作用。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，开发实验室和空间等离子体研究的跨学科应用。这项努力将在大学环境中整合教学和研究，包括博士后研究科学家和一名攻读博士论文的研究生。PI还将帮助新汉普郡大学的一个暑期学院的高中生接受教育，该学院被称为“SMART项目”(通过研究培训实现科学和数学成就)。SMART项目为新汉普郡的当地高中生提供了令人兴奋的研究体验。

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.