Engineering-Physics Space Plasma Seminar - Prayash Sharma Pyakurel, UC Berkeley

Title: "Exploring magnetic reconnection process at different length scales: Observations, simulations, and theory"

May 11, 2021
4 pm - 5 pm
Location
Zoom: Email for link and password.
Sponsored by
Physics & Astronomy Department, Thayer School of Engineering
Audience
Public
More information
Tressena Manning
603-646-2854

Abstract: Recent discovery of electron-only reconnection has prompted numerous studies of the small-scale reconnection phenomenon in various regions of the Earth’s magnetosphere. However, the origin and the criteria that governs the physics of electron-only reconnection is still not well understood. I present an overview of recent numerical, observational, and theoretical findings on the electron-only magnetic reconnection process in 2D and 3D settings. In 3D, we find that the finite length X-line configuration further enhances the reconnection rate due the magnetic tension force activated in the out-of-plane direction of the usual reconnection plane. A brief discussion of recent observations of large-scale reconnection in PSP and preliminary comparative simulation analysis will be presented as well. 

Location
Zoom: Email for link and password.
Sponsored by
Physics & Astronomy Department, Thayer School of Engineering
Audience
Public
More information
Tressena Manning
603-646-2854