Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics seminar: Louis Richard

Abstract: Plasma is the most abundant state of matter in the visible Universe, yet how charged particles are energized during plasma phenomena such as turbulence, shocks, and magnetic reconnection remains an open question. Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process that converts electromagnetic energy into heat and fast particle motion, driving some of the most energetic events in the Universe. In this seminar, I will present new insights into particle energization during magnetic reconnection, based on in situ observations from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft in Earth’s magnetosphere. I will show how electrons are accelerated by a magnetic-field-aligned electric field that arises to maintain charge neutrality during magnetic reconnection. Additionally, I will discuss how thermal ions are rapidly heated due to their interaction with strongly curved magnetic fields. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of energy dissipation and particle energization in magnetic reconnection, thereby improving our understanding of plasma dynamics in space and astrophysical environments.