Dartmouth Events

Virtual Engineering-Physics Space Plasma Seminar - Gregory Werner, UC

Title: "Relativistic Magnetic Reconnection in 3D"

4/12/2022
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Zoom
Intended Audience(s): Public
Categories: Lectures & Seminars

Abstract: Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process that takes placein thin current sheets and rapidly converts magnetic energy intoparticle kinetic energy.  It may be the primary mechanism behindspectacular outbursts of radiation in the universe, from solar flares inour Sun to high energy TeV flares in distant blazars.  Magneticreconnection has been extensively studied in 2D; a particularlyimportant feature of reconnection in 2D is the formation of an intricatehierarchy of plasmoids, which have important consequences forreconnection dynamics.  But how does reconnection proceed in nature, in3D?  E.g., does a similar plasmoid chain develop?  I will discuss theevolution of thin current sheets in relativistic collisionlesselectron-positron plasma; although 2D-like reconnection can take placein 3D, other nonlinear instabilities compete with it.  In particular,the relativistic drift-kink instability can release magnetic energy asfast as reconnection can, and also yields similar nonthermal particleacceleration.

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Join Zoom Meeting
https://dartmouth.zoom.us/j/92751420885?pwd=QnIwN0RiSGkzMUtjQVZxRlZLMkcwQT09

Meeting ID: 927 5142 0885
Passcode: Plasma

 

For more information, contact:
Tressena Manning
tressena.a.manning@dartmouth.edu
603-646-2854
Permanent URL to this event: https://physics.dartmouth.edu/events/event?event=66610

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