Particle acceleration via magnetic reconnection in different regimes (F02)

• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas ; Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 445052434

Magnetic reconnection is one of the most important mechanisms for converting magnetic to kinetic energy, and therefore represents a realistic possibility for particle acceleration in astrophysical environments such as the cores of (active) galaxies, where the magnetic energy can take on extreme values. This project combines the kinetic with the MHD regime to develop a consistent picture of reconnection from large to small scales. The goal of the project is to understand how magnetic reconnection is triggered in astrophysical jets, and how particles can be accelerated to relativistic energies in a realistic geometry.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1491: Cosmic Interacting Matters - From Source to Signal
• Applicant Institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Rainer Grauer; Professorin Dr. Maria Elena Innocenti