NJIT Physics Department Seminar

September 12th, Monday, 2016

Electric Currents in the Solar Atmosphere

Prof. Gregory D. Fleishman

Dept. of Physics, NJIT

(Solar Physics)

Time: 11:45am-12:45pm with 11:30am tea time

Room: ECE 202

Abstract:

In this talk, which is an extended version of an introductory talk that I presented at Chapman AGU conference ‘Electric currents in Geospace and beyond’, May 2016, I discuss measurements, modeling, and role of electric current in solar atmosphere. Specifically, I describe how the electric current density is inferred from the vector magnetic field measurements at photospheric and chromospheric levels and how it is modeled, using Nonlinear Force-Free Field (NLFFF) extrapolations, in the solar corona. Then, role of electric currents in plasma dynamics and heating, energy release, and acceleration and transport of nonthermal particles are discussed. I discuss electron and ion components forming electric current in a multi-component plasma, effect of the electric current on the Alfven wave properties, and current neutralization due to return currents during solar flares.