This project addresses the frontier problems of plasma dissipation and radiation in accretion flows onto black holes, when the density is so low that Coulomb coupling is inadequate to heat the electrons. Using magnetohydrodynamic turbulence generated by the magneto-rotational-instability (MRI) as the template, the physics of plasma energization and radiation will be studied in depth, using Particle-in-Cell codes and Monte Carlo radiation codes. This research is potentially transformative as it tackles the new frontier of 'subgrid' physics, linking microphysical processes to macroscopic simulations.
The study will impact all accretion phenomena in which the MRI mechanism may be important, as well as having much broader applications to most plasma phenomena beyond astrophysics. This research also exposes undergraduates and talented high school students to cutting-edge astrophysics research and supercomputer applications. User-friendly public access comes from an active website maintained in collaboration with the Houston museum system.
This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
