Physics & Astronomy/Thayer Plasma Seminar - Prof. Yi-Hsin Liu, Dartmouth College

Title: "Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection"

October 24, 2017
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Location
Wilder 202
Sponsored by
Physics & Astronomy Department
Audience
Public
More information
Tressena Manning
603-646-2854
Abstract: Earth's magnetosphere shields Earth against the constant bombardment of supersonic solar winds. However, the surface of this magnetic shield, called the magnetopause, can be eroded through various plasma mechanisms. Among them, magnetic reconnection is arguably the most important process. Reconnection not only allows the transport of solar wind plasmas into Earth magnetosphere but also enhances the convection of magnetic flux to Earth's night side. The magnetic fields and plasma conditions on the two sides of the magnetopause are different in general, and reconnection under this geometry is thus called "asymmetric." With the aid of modern supercomputers, numerical simulations have revealed the rich kinetic feature of magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas. In this talk, I will show our latest progress in understanding the reconnection rate and the three-dimensional nature of the reconnection x-line in asymmetric geometry.
Location
Wilder 202
Sponsored by
Physics & Astronomy Department
Audience
Public
More information
Tressena Manning
603-646-2854