Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2011
Volume 56, Number 4
Saturday–Tuesday, April 30–May 3 2011; Anaheim, California
Session H1: Laboratory Plasma Astrophysics |
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Sponsoring Units: DPP DAP Chair: Dan McCammon, University of Wisconsin-Madison Room: Grand A |
Sunday, May 1, 2011 10:45AM - 11:21AM |
H1.00001: Laboratory Studies of Magnetic Reconnection Invited Speaker: Magnetic reconnection, the efficient release of magnetic energy by topological rearrangement of field lines, is one of the most important and fundamental plasma processes in space, solar and more distant astrophysical plasmas. It plays key roles in a wide range of phenomena including solar flares, coronal mass ejections, solar wind propagation and dissipation, interaction of interplanetary plasma with Earth and other planets' magnetosphere, star formation, and explosive phenomena from strongly magnetized neutron stars. Despite the long history of magnetic reconnection research, the most important progress has been achieved only recently. Much of this progress was accomplished with valuable contributions from dedicated laboratory experiments, which have become increasingly well-controlled and well-diagnosed. This talk highlights a few examples such as quantitative tests of the classical Sweet-Parker model, two-fluid effects for fast reconnection, first detections of the electron diffusion region, and microturbulence in reconnecting current sheets. Looking into the future, a new theme of magnetic reconnection with multiple X-lines is emerging to possibly provide solutions for fast reconnection in large systems and for efficient particle acceleration as suggested by recent numerical and theoretical studies. Scientific opportunities for a next generation laboratory experiment to study magnetic reconnection in such regimes directly relevant to space and astrophysical plasmas will be described. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, May 1, 2011 11:21AM - 11:57AM |
H1.00002: Laboratory measurements of the dynamics and reconnection of large B fields in high energy density plasmas Invited Speaker: Advances in laser technology have enabled the generation of ultra-short duration ($<$ 100 fsec) laser pulses which can be focused to unprecedented intensities ($>$ 10$^{22}$ W/cm$^2$). The magnetic fields in plasmas produced by such intense lasers can reach Gigagauss levels. I will report results from a series of high power laser experiments performed at the University of Michigan and at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK which have used new diagnostic techniques to measure the magnitude of these fields as well as their evolution on femtosecond timescales. The dynamics of Megagauss magnetic fields in a reconnection geometry were also measured and the generation of energetic plasma jets resulting from the reconnection process was observed. [Preview Abstract] |
Sunday, May 1, 2011 11:57AM - 12:33PM |
H1.00003: Plasma Dynamo Experiments Invited Speaker: |
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