The stability of magnetized coronal plasmas (EE/DRFMAT7P/61954)

The solar atmosphere exhibits eruptive phenomena at different time and spatial scales. The most dramatic events, called solar storms, propagate in the interplanetary medium and may interact with the Earth’s atmosphere and possibly damaging our communication systems. To be able to forecast such events, we need to address the question of what physical mechanism triggers such instabilities. The answer lies in understanding the strong interaction between the magnetic field and the matter/plasma within the solar atmosphere. The PhD project is twofold: (i) studying the stability of the magnetic field and plasma in separated/uncoupled manner, (ii) developing a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) approach coupling magnetic field and plasma. Those two mathematical descriptions of the coronal plasma will thus lead to a unified model of magnetized plasma and its instability.

The magnetic field within the solar atmosphere is obtained from a 3D mathematical model applied to solar observations: assuming the knowledge of the photospheric magnetic field, the coronal magnetic field is derived from the so-called magnetic extrapolation technique. The stability of magnetic configurations is obtained by either studying the geometry/topology of the magnetic field, or by perturbation theory.

The plasma properties (temperature, density) are obtained from a 1D hydrodynamic model following a sequence of heating and cooling events mimicking the observations of the coronal plasma. The current model is still in its infancy and requires improvements to take into account the new perspectives/physics obtained in this rapidly evolving research area. The thermal instabilities will be studied in this context, including shocks and waves.

The combination of those two approaches within a unified, consistent model will be a step forward in our understanding of coronal physics.

The student will thus acquire a thorough expertise in numerical computations, solar physics, MHD and space data.

Enquiries regarding this studentship should be made to: Dr Stéphane Régnier, 0191 227 3677,
[Email Address Removed]

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.

Deadline - Friday 2nd October
Start Date - January 2016 (tbc)