Magnetic configurations, reconnection and energy transfers in space plasmas

Student : FADANELLI Sid

Advisor : B. Lavraud (IRAP) et F. Califano (University of Pisa, ITALY)

Start : 2017

Group : PEPS

Throughout interplanetary space, plasma particles and magnetic fields play an endless game of re-shaping themselves and exchanging energy. A key process in this regard is magnetic reconnection. The complex dynamics resulting from this process is responsible for particle acceleration and entry into the Earth’s magnetosphere, potentially dangerous for people and machinery, and is the basic subject of this thesis. In the first part of the work, I focus on the local shape of magnetic configurations. To this aim, I devise a technique to retrieve relevant local characteristics of magnetic configurations, which I apply to multi-spacecraft data, demonstrating its efficacy. In the second part of the thesis I discuss how energy is exchanged among its different forms in the neighbourhood of a reconnection site using a numerical simulation. I show in particular how different energy conversions are statistically related to one another and to local features of the system.

Hobbies and interests

Apart from being passionate about astronomy and astrophysics, I like hiking and choir singing, which I perform at basic level.

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