Isaac Newton Institute Programme on Gyrokinetics in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas (Urgency Scheme)

Find Similar History 11 Claim Ownership Request Data Change Add Favourite

Title
Isaac Newton Institute Programme on Gyrokinetics in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas (Urgency Scheme)

CoPED ID
8703a49a-ebcc-4806-94de-9cb5c430bef5

Status
Closed


Value
£34,800

Start Date
July 18, 2010

End Date
Aug. 18, 2010

Description

More Like This


Perhaps the greatest challenge in plasma science is to understand the multiscale interaction between small-scale fluctuations and large-scale plasma dynamics. This is crucial both in fundamental astrophysical and space physics research (e.g., turbulence in the solar wind, accretion onto black holes, and global temperature profiles and local structures in galaxy clusters) and in more practical terrestrial contexts (e.g., the performance of the international fusion reactor, ITER). In the last 25 years, a new mathematical approach, gyrokinetics, has been developed to treat low-frequency fluctuations in plasmas. In this approach, the fast orbital 'gyromotion' is averaged to produce kinetic equations for rings of charge. This is a 5D mathematically rigorous description that is far more tractable than the full kinetic theory. Despite some practical successes in code-building and simulations, the mathematical properties and physical implications of gyrokinetics are insufficiently well understood. In space and astrophysics, the wide applicability and power of the gyrokinetic theory has yet to be fully recognised and exploited. The programme will aim to step beyond the traditional focus on gyrokinetics for fusion plasmas: to confront a broader group of applied mathematicians and numericists with the practical challenges posed by gyrokinetics; to explore applications to space and astrophysical plasmas; and thus to help forge a cross-disciplinary and versatile community of physicists, astrophysicists and mathematicians. The Isaac Newton Institute Programme on Gyrokinetics in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas is organized by Professor W Dorland (Maryland), Professor S Nazarenko (Warwick) and Dr A Schekochihin (Oxford, STFC Advanced Fellow), with Professor S Cowley (Director, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy) as advisor. Approximately 50 leading researchers will attend during the four-week programme, which includes the week-long workshop 'Kinetic-scale turbulence in laboratory and space plasmas: empirical constraints, fundamental concepts and unsolved problems'.

Subjects by relevance
  1. Astrophysics
  2. Plasma physics
  3. Solar wind
  4. Nuclear fusion
  5. Simulation
  6. Dynamics
  7. Plasma (gases)
  8. Space research

Extracted key phrases
  1. Isaac Newton Institute Programme
  2. Scale plasma dynamic
  3. Space plasma
  4. Astrophysical Plasmas
  5. Fusion plasma
  6. Plasma science
  7. Gyrokinetic theory
  8. Space physics research
  9. Gyrokinetics
  10. Scale fluctuation
  11. Practical challenge
  12. Professor S Nazarenko
  13. Laboratory
  14. Professor S Cowley
  15. Scale turbulence

Related Pages

UKRI project entry

UK Project Locations