Research on intergalactic magnetic fields and cosmic rays

我提出的研究的目的是促进我们对天体物理环境中电离气体和磁场之间相互作用的不完全理解。我们目前对磁等离子体物理学的不完全理解需要推进，以解决河外天文学中的许多重要问题，以及与地球有关的挑战，特别是热核聚变。后者包括磁约束和来自数百万度聚变等离子体的能量传输，这种等离子体有朝一日将成为世界能源的主要来源。另一个是了解黑洞流入能量如何通过准直的“喷流”转化为效率达到10%或更高的磁能。这是现代物理学尚未解决的基本问题之一。从星系反馈到星际介质的磁能是我在Disvovery Grant申请中提出的许多研究的核心。对这些反馈过程的了解对于全面理解和模拟星系系统和宇宙结构的形成是至关重要的。人们发现，从厘米米尺度的实验室(和聚变反应堆)到地球磁层和星系间尺度的磁等离子体现象的巨大可扩展性，加上迅速发展的模拟科学，为天体物理磁场的研究创造了重要的机会。尽管MHD和等离子体科学对技术和知识的未来具有根本性的重要性，但在加拿大，它们的研究活动并不多。我现在和提议的研究旨在推进这一重要的知识部门。

The aim of my proposed research is to advance our incomplete understanding of the interactions between ionized gas and magnetic fields in astrophysical contexts. Our currently incomplete understanding of the physics of magneto-plasmas needs to be advanced to solving many important problems in extragalactic astronomy, and Earth-related challenges, in particular thermonuclear fusion. The latter includes magnetic confinement and energy transport out of a the multimillion degree fusion plasma that will one day be a primary source of the world's energy. Another is to understand the  conversion of the black hole infall energy via collimated "jets" into magnetic energy with an efficiency of 10% or more. This is one of the fundamental unsolved problems of modern physics. Magnetic energy feedback out of galaxies into the intergalactic medium is central to much of the research proposed in my Disvovery Grant application. knowledge of these feedback processes are essential to fully understand and simulate the formation of galaxy systems and cosmological structure.      The enormous scalability of the magneto-plasma phenomena from laboratory (and fusion reactor) on scales of cm - metres, to the earth's magnetosphere and intergalactic scales, combined with rapidly improving simulation science creates important opportunities for the study of astrophysical magnetic fields. Despite their fundamental importance for the future of technology and knowledge, MHD and plasma science is an underrepresented reseach activity in Canada. My present and proposed research is aimed at advancing this important knowledge sector.