Instructor: Prof. Merav Opher
E-mail: mopher@physics.gmu.edu
http://www.physics.gmu.edu/~mopher
Office Hours: Thursday 2:00-4:00pm or by appointment
Text Book: There is no good book on this topic - it wil be based on
"Introduction to Plasma Physics with Space and Laboratory Applications"
by Donald A. Gurnett and Amitava Bhattacharjee; and notes from Prof. Elizabeth Golveia (USP) based on "Plasma Astrophysics" by George B. Field, 1991,
Harvard University (that will be available before each class).
Other readings:
"Plasma Physics for Astrophysics" by R. M. Kulsrud
"Principles of Magnetohydrodynamics"by Hans Goedbloed and Stefaan Poedts
Evaluation: Will be based on homeworks (3 HW's) (30%) and a final project (40%) that will be partially computational, theoretical and using data analysis. The aim is to have
draft for publication. In week 5, an initial draft should be presented containing an abstract, introduction for a mid-term avaliation (20%).
In Weeks 10, 11, and 12 the different projects will be presented. Another (10%) will be give to questions by the class to the presenter.
Topics:
Week #1 - Review of major aspects of plasma physics and aspects to be covered in course - Topics to be chosen by students [August 30]
Template for a paper
class notes
Week #2 - Waves and Instabilities [September 06]
Alfven waves
Magneto-acustic waves
Instability Parker-Rayleigh-Taylor
Lecture Notes
*note that there will be no class September 13 - Rosh Hashana *
Week #3 - more on Parker-Rayleigh Taylor [September 20]
Applications: interstellar clouds modes
neutron stars
B in interstellar gas
B in the galaxy
Stellar and Extrastellar Jets
Solar System and Interstellar Medium
HW #1
Lecture Notes
Page 9 - Lecture Notes
Week #4 [September 27] - Particle Acceleration
Shocks - review major aspects
Rankine-Hugoniot relations
Shocks with B=0
Shocks with B=/ 0
Fermi acceleration
Acceleration in shocks
Lecture Notes
Week #5 [October 04] - MiD Term Avaliation: Paper Outline/Introduction/Abstract
Acceleration in Parallel Shocks
Acceleration in Perpendicular Shocks
Lecture Notes
HW#1 Solutions
Week #6 [October 11] - Applications of particle accelertion:
Heliospheric Shocks
Supernova remnants
Coronal Heating
Supernovas
Extragalacic jets
Cosmic rays
HW#2
Lecture Notes
HW#2
*note that there will be no class October 18 - conference *
Week #7 [October 25] - Recconection
Shock waves and reconnection
Current sheets
Fast reconnection
Petschek model
Lecture Notes
Week #8 [November 01] - Modification to Petschek model
Observational tests
Numerical Simualtions
Applications: YSO, AGNs
HW#3
Extra Notes : From May-Britt Kallenrode
Week #9 [November 08] - Origin of Magnetic Fields
Mechanisms of generation of magnetic fields
Type of dynamo
alpha-effect
Application to diferential rotation of the Sun and stars
Magnetic field of the galaxy
Lecture 9
Week #10 [November 15] - Application of Dynamo Theory
Ohmic dissipation of magnetic field in planets, stars and galaxies; field in convective stars as the Sun;
Origin of magnetic field in the galaxy
Week #11 [November 29] Student Presentation - Project 1
Week #12 [November 06] Student Presentation - Project 2
Week #13 [December 18] *note the different date Student Presentation - Project 3
E-mail: mopher@physics.gmu.edu
http://www.physics.gmu.edu/~mopher
Office Hours: Thursday 2:00-4:00pm or by appointment
Text Book: There is no good book on this topic - it wil be based on
"Introduction to Plasma Physics with Space and Laboratory Applications"
by Donald A. Gurnett and Amitava Bhattacharjee; and notes from Prof. Elizabeth Golveia (USP) based on "Plasma Astrophysics" by George B. Field, 1991,
Harvard University (that will be available before each class).
Other readings:
"Plasma Physics for Astrophysics" by R. M. Kulsrud
"Principles of Magnetohydrodynamics"by Hans Goedbloed and Stefaan Poedts
Evaluation: Will be based on homeworks (3 HW's) (30%) and a final project (40%) that will be partially computational, theoretical and using data analysis. The aim is to have
draft for publication. In week 5, an initial draft should be presented containing an abstract, introduction for a mid-term avaliation (20%).
In Weeks 10, 11, and 12 the different projects will be presented. Another (10%) will be give to questions by the class to the presenter.
This course is the
second part of the course Space Plasma but it is designed to stand on
it own so students that didn't take the first part will be able to
follow the material. It will cover how magnetic fields affect major
aspects involved in today’s space physics and astrophysics
research,
including different regimes of plasma; basic concepts in kinetic,
fluid, and MHD plasmas; and existent waves in these media. We will
start reviewing the basic plasma concepts and deepen in aspects such
as shocks, discontinuities, transport and acceleration of
particles reconnection, and MHD instabilities.
Topics:
Week #1 - Review of major aspects of plasma physics and aspects to be covered in course - Topics to be chosen by students [August 30]
Template for a paper
class notes
Week #2 - Waves and Instabilities [September 06]
Alfven waves
Magneto-acustic waves
Instability Parker-Rayleigh-Taylor
Lecture Notes
*note that there will be no class September 13 - Rosh Hashana *
Week #3 - more on Parker-Rayleigh Taylor [September 20]
Applications: interstellar clouds modes
neutron stars
B in interstellar gas
B in the galaxy
Stellar and Extrastellar Jets
Solar System and Interstellar Medium
HW #1
Lecture Notes
Page 9 - Lecture Notes
Week #4 [September 27] - Particle Acceleration
Shocks - review major aspects
Rankine-Hugoniot relations
Shocks with B=0
Shocks with B=/ 0
Fermi acceleration
Acceleration in shocks
Lecture Notes
Week #5 [October 04] - MiD Term Avaliation: Paper Outline/Introduction/Abstract
Acceleration in Parallel Shocks
Acceleration in Perpendicular Shocks
Lecture Notes
HW#1 Solutions
Week #6 [October 11] - Applications of particle accelertion:
Heliospheric Shocks
Supernova remnants
Coronal Heating
Supernovas
Extragalacic jets
Cosmic rays
HW#2
Lecture Notes
HW#2
*note that there will be no class October 18 - conference *
Week #7 [October 25] - Recconection
Shock waves and reconnection
Current sheets
Fast reconnection
Petschek model
Lecture Notes
Week #8 [November 01] - Modification to Petschek model
Observational tests
Numerical Simualtions
Applications: YSO, AGNs
HW#3
Extra Notes : From May-Britt Kallenrode
Week #9 [November 08] - Origin of Magnetic Fields
Mechanisms of generation of magnetic fields
Type of dynamo
alpha-effect
Application to diferential rotation of the Sun and stars
Magnetic field of the galaxy
Lecture 9
Week #10 [November 15] - Application of Dynamo Theory
Ohmic dissipation of magnetic field in planets, stars and galaxies; field in convective stars as the Sun;
Origin of magnetic field in the galaxy
Week #11 [November 29] Student Presentation - Project 1
Week #12 [November 06] Student Presentation - Project 2
Week #13 [December 18] *note the different date Student Presentation - Project 3