Solar, Stellar & Space Plasma Physics

Our sun may look like a simple disk in the sky, but centuries of observation have revealed intricate processes that we are only now beginning to understand. How are particles accelerated in the sun’s outer regions? How does the solar wind work, and what causes solar eruptions? How do stars interact with and influence the planets that orbit them? We know that magnetic fields play a key role in the underlying physics, but many of the exact mechanisms are yet unknown.

UMD astronomers use data from the lab, satellites, and ground-based observatories to understand space plasmas. They study the role these plasmas play in various phenomena, including magnetic reconnection and plasma turbulence. UMD astronomers also address exotic cases, including planets that orbit pulsars and rapidly rotating neutron stars.