Projects
Multi-scale modeling of solar wind expansion, acceleration, and turbulence KU Leuven
The solar wind (SW), a continuous stream of charged particles released from the Sun, fills the interplanetary space with "collisionless" plasma where charged particles interact only weakly. Recently launched space missions provide measurements for the SW plasma (e.g. density and temperature) from distances unprecedentedly close to the solar surface. In particular, Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Solar Orbiter (SolO) are now reporting intriguing ...
How relativistic particles shine in astrophysical collisionless plasma turbulence KU Leuven
Coronae of black-hole accretion disks in X-ray binaries and at the cores of active galaxies are extremely bright sources of high-energy radiation. The radiation is produced in a hot ionized gas (plasma) that shines through emission from relativistic particles. The energization of particles is mediated by collisionless plasma processes, among which electromagnetic plasma turbulence is a prime contender. A comprehensive understanding of the ...
Investigating Space Plasma Turbulence using Kinetic Simulations KU Leuven
This Ph.D. project aims to investigate the fundamental processes governing space plasma turbulence in the solar context using kinetic simulations. The solar wind is a magnetized plasma originating from the Sun and flowing through the solar system, and its interaction with the interstellar medium generates turbulence. Turbulence plays a crucial role in the acceleration and transport of energetic particles, affects the dynamics and structure of ...
Sabbatical Giovanni Lapenta: Machine Learning for Turbulence and Reconnection KU Leuven
1) Develop a new capability of big data analytics to add to my expertise on simulation and theory. The mission magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) launched by NASA has a wealth of data with unprecedented accuracy: by visiting the teams at University of Colorado (CU) and at UCLA I can work with experts that have designed some of the on-borad experiments. Joining data analysis and simulation will give a boost to my research and to my teaching ...
RObust NAcelle Transfer functions under different turbulence conditions (RONAT) Vrije Universiteit Brussel
worldwide. As Flanders is not a producer of large wind turbines,
operation and maintenance is one of the main fields where Flanders
can generate innovation and economic benefit. Such benefit must
come from making optimal use of available data.
Every wind turbine in a wind farm is equipped with a nacelle
anemometer, which measures the wind ...
PLAnetary plasma Turbulence and Intermittency – coupling with interplanetary transients from data analysis and NUmerical Modelling KU Leuven
The project PLATINUM is devoted to investigate the planetary plasma turbulence and complexity and the response to variability and turbulence induced by interplanetary extreme events and transients (e.g., Corotating Interaction Regions - CIR, Coronal Mass Ejections – CME). It considers two prototypical planetary plasma systems: the Earth (dense atmosphere, strong inner magnetic field) and Mars (rarefied atmosphere, almost vanishing, remnant ...
The study of turbulence in the chromosphere using a two-fluid approach and adaptive mesh refinement KU Leuven
Turbulence in space plasmas: numerical simulations and in situ observations in the heliosphere. KU Leuven
Ninety-nine percent of visible matter in the universe is neither solid, liquid, nor gas, but an ionized gas called plasma. Plasma is made of ions and electrons, which are microscopic entities endowed with electrical charge. Plasmas with different properties permeate the galaxies, filling the space between stars. While planets and stars exhibit ordered motion in the sky, space plasmas behave in a chaotic way known as turbulence. Turbulence ...
Kinetic scale turbulence in collisionless magnetized plasmas: statistics, energy transfer and coherent structures KU Leuven
The term turbulence is used to describe a huge class of phenomena occurring in fluids, plasmas and other systems. Turbulence can be defined as a chaotic nonlinear process involving the transfer and reorganization of energy among different scales. Typically, turbulence is induced by a large scale driving force that provides energy to the system. Such energy is nonlinearly transferred to smaller and smaller scales, up to a point where it is ...