Solar wind modelling

The Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics (CmPA) was founded on January 1st, 1992 and is part of the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science of the KU Leuven, Belgium. The CmPA concentrates its research on the dynamical interaction between plasmas – the fourth and most abundant state of all known matter in our universe – and magnetic fields. This interaction gives rise to a wide range of fascinating and spectacular phenomena, including all aspects of our local space weather, where magnetic activity in the solar atmosphere controls the appearance of waves, instabilities, flows, shocks, heating, and the acceleration of the solar plasma into our heliosphere. Plasma dynamics also governs planetary and stellar magnetospheric physics; the turbulent motions in accretion disks; up to the jets observed wherever stars are born or die, or the relativistic jets emerging from entire galaxies. Moreover, fundamental plasma physics governs all laboratory research conducted to realise controlled thermonuclear fusion.
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Responsibilities

The main goal of the project you will work on is the advancement of the non-equilibrium plasma theory and specific key applications by employing the Regularized Kappa Distribution (RKD) introduced recently for a realistic interpretation of suprathermal particle populations and their macroscopic implications in various astrophysical systems. The new RKD concept motivates systematic explorations of its consequences in kinetic as well as fluid theory and corresponding studies of astrophysical plasmas on small and large scales.  The research is part of a FWO WEAVE project with RUB (Bochum) and aims to develop mutually consistent theoretical kinetic and fluid approaches based on the RKD, and to validate them by applying corresponding results to non-equilibrium plasmas in the heliosphere. This validation of the theory and the modeling will be made on the basis of various spacecraft data, particularly from the recently launched missions Parker Solar Probe (NASA) and Solar Orbiter (ESA).

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Offer

This position is initially for 2 years as doctor assistant (grade 44), extension may be possible depending on availability of funding (not yet acquired).

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Stefaan Poedts, tel.: +32 16 32 70 23, mail: stefaan.poedts@kuleuven.be or Mr. Marian Lazar, tel.: +32 16 37 63 21, mail: marian.lazar@kuleuven.be.

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