Plasma Astrophysics: Solar Dynamics

This lecture explores how fusion energy powers the Sun, a nuclear reactor that confines plasma through gravitational pull. It delves into the solar magnetic field's structure, revealing a process converting plasma flow energy into magnetic energy. The interaction of magnetic fields via reconnection leads to plasma heating and particle acceleration, driving powerful solar events like coronal mass ejections. The solar wind shapes Earth's magnetosphere, and these topics are discussed using plasma physics basics. Dr. Ivo Furno, head of the Basic Plasma Physics and Applications Group at CRPP, will present the lecture.