Magnetic reconnection breakthrough may help predict space weather

Date:
March 11, 2022
Source:
West Virginia University
Summary:
Researchers have recently discovered a breakthrough in magnetic
reconnection that could ultimately help predict space weather.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A West Virginia University postdoctoral researcher in the Department of
Physics and Astronomy has made a breakthrough in the study of magnetic reconnection, which could prevent space storms from wreaking havoc on
the Earth's satellite and power grid systems.


========================================================================== Peiyun Shi's research is the first-of-its-kind in the laboratory setting
and is part of the PHASMAproject, a complex experiment composed of
advanced diagnostics, electromagnets and lab-created plasma to reveal
new details about how the universe functions.

For his experiment, Shi uses a laser-based diagnostic to probe
plasma. Laser beams are directed in the diagnostic and the light scatters
off of electrons.

The way the light scatters gives insight into how fast the electrons are moving. And because the plasma is more than 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit,
the lasers allow for measuring particles without using a probe or a
thermometer which would melt at such high temperatures.

According to Shi, the technique is analogous to the Doppler effect,
which is an increase or decrease in the frequency of sound or light
waves emanating from a source as an observer moves towards or away from
the source.

Shi's findings were published in Physical Review Letters.

"It's like a radar gun for particles," said Earl Scime, director of the
WVU Center for Kinetic Experiment, Theory and Integrated Computation
Physics and Oleg D. Jefimenko professor of physics. According to Scime,
similar studies are only able to determine the average properties of
the electrons, but with the technology available as part of the PHASMA
project, Shi is able to measure the actual speeds of the electrons.

"Our work proves to the fundamental plasma community that advanced laser diagnostics can measure important kinetic features not accessible to
any other conventional diagnostics," Shi said. "This is essential for understanding various plasma physics processes and for complementing
modern satellite observations. It's a great privilege to work on such
a promising project with a fantastic team here, and the productive collaboration with Paul Cassak and his graduate M. Hasan Barbhuiya
is also critical for this work and much appreciated." This research
has a big impact on broader issues such as predicting space weather
events. Magnetic reconnection plays a major role in how eruptions of
plasma occur on the sun. Those eruptions can result in solar flares
which increase X-ray and ultraviolent emissions, which poses a threat to astronauts in the International Space Station. The eruptions can also
result in large masses of plasma that travel through space and slam
into the Earth's magnetosphere. Those space storms can play havoc with satellite and power grid systems on Earth.

"Every time we understand more about magnetic reconnection, it has
applications from space weather to thermonuclear fusion, to a basic understanding of how the universe works," Scime said.

The PHASMA project is located in the Center for KINETIC Plasma
Physics. PHASMA -- or the PHAse Space MApping experiment as it's
officially dubbed -- is the focus of the WVU Center for Kinetic
Experiment, Theory and Integrated Computation Plasma Physics.

PHASMA is designed to make three-dimensional measurements of the motion
of the ions and electrons in a plasma at very small scales and is the only facility in the world capable of performing these detailed measurements.

The facility was constructed through a grant from the National Science Foundation and receives ongoing support from NSF, the U.S. Department
of Energy and NASA.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by West_Virginia_University. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Peiyun Shi, Prabhakar Srivastav, M. Hasan Barbhuiya, Paul A. Cassak,
Earl
E. Scime, M. Swisdak. Laboratory Observations of Electron Heating
and Non-Maxwellian Distributions at the Kinetic Scale during
Electron-Only Magnetic Reconnection. Physical Review Letters,
2022; 128 (2) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.025002 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220311115322.htm

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