Dartmouth Events

Abstract: The outflow of hot plasma from the solar corona, including the more continuous solar wind and the bursty plasma expulsions called coronal mass ejections are the main drivers of space weather. The solar magnetic field, driving the cavity in the interstellar medium in which all planets are embedded, stores and releases a significant amount of energy into interplanetary space. Understanding the origin and dynamical processes associated with the generation of the solar corona, the acceleration of the solar wind and its ongoing turbulent dynamics are some of the most important tasks of space physics. Decades of exploration notwithstanding, fundamental questions remain concerning the physical processes underlying the origin of the solar corona and solar wind acceleration. Two of the most outstanding topics are magnetic reconnection in the solar corona and turbulence in the solar wind. As Parker Solar Probe lowers its orbit into regions close to the Sun that were never observed directly previously, many novel observations have been made. In this seminar, I will review recent progress on the theory, modeling, and observations of the solar corona and solar wind, and present our current understanding of two fundamental processes, namely magnetic reconnection and plasma turbulence. I will also present one of the most important findings made by Parker Solar Probe, namely the quasi-ubiquitous presence of magnetic switchbacks in the inner heliosphere. I will describe both observational aspects and modeling efforts on this topic. Finally, I will discuss opportunities and challenges regarding the fundamental physical processes in the heliosphere within the context of current and future space missions.

Hosted by Professor Yi-Hsin Liu

***Join before the Colloquium at 3:00 pm for coffee, cookies and brownies from Lou's in Wilder 103!***