Xianzhe Jia, University of Michigan
When
Refreshments served from 3:00 - 3:30 pm in the 3rd floor atrium
TAP Plasma Physics Initiative Lecture
Xianzhe Jia, University of Michigan
Title: Extended MHD and Coupled Fluid-Kinetic Simulations of Planetary Magnetospheres: Applications to Mercury and Ganymede
Abstract: Global simulations have become an invaluable tool in planetary magnetosphere studies, aiding in interpreting satellite observations, uncovering new physics and processes, and generally deepening our understanding of the basic behavior of the magnetosphere. Because of their relatively large system sizes, planetary magnetospheres are normally simulated with ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) models, treating plasma ions and electrons as a combined fluid. Nevertheless, proper treatment of key processes occurring in planetary magnetospheres, such as magnetic reconnection, calls for global models that go beyond the ideal MHD approach. Towards this end, the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) modeling group at the University of Michigan have recently developed a variety of extended MHD models and coupled fluid-kinetic models that allow us to capture kinetic effects in global magnetosphere simulations. In this presentation, we will focus on the application of these models to Mercury and Ganymede, the two smallest planetary bodies in our solar system that possess intrinsic magnetospheres. We will use these examples to illustrate our novel modeling capabilities and discuss the new insights gained through the simulations into reconnection-driven dynamics and its consequences on the global coupling between the ambient plasma and the magnetosphere.
Bio: Dr. Tsai is a Director's Fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He received his PhD at Cornell University and was a postdoc at Fermilab and the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Tsai's research sits at the intersection of particle physics, astroparticle physics, and cosmology, developing theories, searches, and small-scale experiments to probe fundamental laws of physics. He currently focuses on exploring the Elusive Universe, consisting of dark matter, neutrinos, and gravity, studying their signatures in neutrino experiments, space missions, and quantum sensors. Several of his small-scale experiments and search concepts are being implemented in national laboratories worldwide. One of the ultimate goals of Dr. Tsai is to detect dark matter pure gravitationally in the solar system.
Website: https://inspirehep.net/authors/1274923?ui-citation-summary=true
For more about Xianzhe Jia's work:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435190-100-we-may-be-about-to-…;
https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/a-different-way-of-thinking?language_content_entity=und