Space and Plasma Physics

Welcome to the Space and Plasma Physics (SPP) group home page. The group conducts research in the area of plasma physics in space and laboratory settings. Research involving space plasma physics includes high altitude lightning, ionospheric, magnetospheric and radiation belt physics, space weather, reconnection, astrophysical plasmas and collisionless shock waves. Research involving laboratory plasmas includes Terahertz radiation sources, laser-plasma and atmosphere interactions, and novel antenna concepts for efficient Alfven and whistler radiation in plasmas. Bridging the space and laboratory plasmas is use of he ionosphere and magnetosphere as an open plasma laboratory, driven by controlled injection of powerful HF waves generated by the ionospheric heater of the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) located in Gakona, Alaska. The SPP group emphasizes interdisciplinary research in areas involving important collective phenomena. In attacking these problems the group utilizes in addition to analytic theory, extensive numerical simulations - particle, fluid and MHD - laboratory and field experiments, space observations and data analysis. The group maintains close connection with local laboratories - Naval Research Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center, John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory - and Universities - UCLA, Stanford, Dartmouth, New York University, Virginia Tech and Boston College.