Research on intergalactic magnetic fields and cosmic rays

我提出研究的目的是在天体物理学背景下推进我们对电离气体和磁场之间相互作用的不完整理解。我们目前对磁等离子体物理学的不完整理解需要进一步发展，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，特别是热核融合。后者包括磁约束和数百万度聚变等离子体的能量传输，这种等离子体有一天将成为世界能源的主要来源。另一个是了解黑洞通过准直“射流”将落入的能量转化为磁能的效率为10%或更高。这是现代物理学尚未解决的基本问题之一。从星系到星系间介质的磁能反馈是我在发现基金申请中提出的许多研究的核心。了解这些反馈过程对于充分理解和模拟星系系统和宇宙结构的形成至关重要。从实验室（和聚变反应堆）的厘米尺度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，加上快速改进的模拟科学，为天体物理磁场的研究创造了重要的机会。尽管MHD和等离子体科学对未来的技术和知识具有根本性的重要性，但它们在加拿大的研究活动代表性不足。我目前和提议的研究旨在推进这一重要的知识领域。

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.