Colloquium by Kristopher Klein, University of Arizona
Turbulent magnetic and velocity fluctuations are responsible for the transport of mass, momentum, and energy in a variety of plasma systems throughout the solar system and universe. In this talk, I discuss recent advances in our understanding of the role that turbulence plays in weakly collisional plasma systems drawn from in situ measurements of electromagnetic fields and charged particle velocity distributions from the Sun's extended atmosphere, made over the last half-century, including most recently by Parker Solar Probe and MMS. Changes in the nature of the turbulence with varying distance from the Sun's surface, as well as a function of key dimensionless system parameters, are discussed. We conclude with open questions regarding the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of plasma turbulence that will be addressed over this next decade by multi-point, multi-scale missions such as the recently selected HelioSwarm Observatory.
Followed by wine and cheese.
Host: David Kipping