Project Title: Heating of Hot Magnetized Plasmas

Project Advisor: Dr. L. Golub

Background: Hot, X-ray emitting plasmas are ubiquitous throughout astrophysics, and the mechanism(s) responsible for their heating is poorly understood.

Scientific Questions: What are the observable consequences of the different mechanisms proposed for heating of the solar coronal plasma? Can we distinguish among them via direct observation?

Scientific Methodology: A combination of theory, modelling and experiment: calculate the plasma properties resulting from proposed dissipation mechanisms, model the observable effects, and compare to observations of the solar corona.

Other links related to this project

• Description of the Solar-Stellar X-ray Group
• The AIA project for the Solar Dynamics Observatory