Seminar: Energy conversion and particle acceleration at turbulent plasma jet fronts (Pre-Defence seminar)

High-speed plasma flows (jets) are ubiquitous phenomena in the universe. They propagate into the plasma at rest surrounding their source. When the fast flow encounters the plasma at rest, it forms a front where its kinetic energy is dissipated. At the jet front, plasma gains energy from the electromagnetic fields, which results in particle heating and acceleration. Such jets carry energy away from the most powerful sources (e.g., active galactic nuclei AGN) and transfer it to the medium surrounding them. High-speed plasma flows are also common in planetary magnetospheres, including the Earth's magnetotail.

In this seminar, we focus on the fast outflows produced by magnetic reconnection in the Earth's magnetotail. The magnetotail is a natural laboratory to probe the plasma at the kinetic scales (10-100 km). This allows us to address some of the open questions related to plasma jet fronts and the associated energy conversion. We use the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft launched in 2015 to investigate current sheet flapping, particle heating and acceleration, and turbulence associated with the fast magnetotail flows.

-------

We shall leave for lunch at around 12:15. There will be fika after the seminar.