Studying Magnetic Reconnection in Simulations of Chromospheric Jets (Supervisor: Dr. Giulia Murtas)
Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous process in astrophysical plasmas: it facilitates the conversion of magnetic energy stored in twisted magnetic field lines into heat and kinetic energy, forming jets and fast plasma flows and producing waves. In the solar atmosphere, magnetic reconnection is responsible for triggering dramatic eruptive events – such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. More recently, this plasma process has been associated with tiny explosive phenomena happening deeper in the solar atmosphere, in a cool, denser, partially ionized layer called the chromosphere: in this setting, reconnection is considered to be responsible for pushing ions to the external layer – the corona – where observations of elemental abundances drastically vary compared to the solar surface, a phenomenon called the FIP effect.
The student will run and analyze 2D simulations of magnetic reconnection in chromospheric jets, and quantify the energy carried by Alfvén waves during the process to determine their impact in accelerating ions up and down the solar atmosphere: these simulations are run on super computers and will model a slice of the solar atmosphere from the surface to the solar corona. The student will code analysis routines in Python and learn how to initialize and modify science cases in Fortran90 with the (PIP) code.
Tracing Signatures of Reconnection with the TRACERS Satellites
Dr. Goodrich’s research group is seeking and REU student to help assist in analyze
data from the newly launched TRACERS mission. TRACERS consists of two small NASA
satellites that fly together through a special region near Earth’s poles where
particles from the Sun can enter the atmosphere. Their main goal is to better understand
magnetic reconnection, a process where Earth’s magnetic field and the Sun’s magnetic
field interact and release energy. TRACERS measures how particles and electric
fields behave during these events, helping scientists learn what causes space weather
and why it changes. The mission ultimately helps improve predictions of space-weather
effects that can impact satellites, communication systems, and other technology
we rely on. The responsibilities of the student would include downloading and modifying
datasets, using basic analytical or mapping tools, and looking for patterns in
observations of electrons, protons, magnetic field, and electric field. They will
also help summarize these observations and discussing them with the Goodrich research
group, which consists of four graduate students, one undergraduate student and
one post-doctoral researcher. The position is ideal for students building skills
in data analysis, geospatial tools, and scientific communication while supporting
ongoing research projects.
Dr. Goodrich and lab watch the TRACERS launch, 2025.
Determining the impact of localized electron heating in computer simulations of the
solar wind interaction with Mars
Our Sun emits a stream of charged particles radially outward into our solar system.
This flow, known as the solar wind (or more generally as a stellar wind), is usually
(but not always) deflected around planets and other bodies it encounters, much
like water in a stream is deflected around a rock. Space is however tenuous and
so physical collisions are extremely rare: electromagnetic forces (“space plasma
physics”) thus play pivotal roles in the evolution of the solar wind and its deflection
about solar system bodies.
This project focuses on the solar wind interaction with the planet Mars. The student
will analyze output from pre-run global hybrid simulations of the Martian magnetosphere
and ionosphere: these simulations are run on super computers and simulate the 3D
space around the planet. The simulations include ions and electrons, which are
“driven” by simulated electric and magnetic fields. The student will determine
the impact of a newly added module to the simulation code, which introduces localized
heating of electrons. In particular, the student will determine the impact of this
heating rate on ion and electron density and temperature profiles within the planetary
ionosphere.
A 10 minute simulation run can generate Gbs of data. The student will write computer
code in Python to ingest the simulation outputs and perform their analysis, including
code to visualize their results. The student will be mentored by post-doctoral
researcher Dr. Catherine Regan and Dr. Christopher Fowler. The student will frequently
interact with other members of the Fowler and Plasma Physics research groups within
the department, including group and individual meetings.
Figure 6 - Hybrid computer simulation of Venus and its interaction with the solar
wind, demonstrating electromagnetic wave behavior at the interface between the
solar wind and ionosphere.
The CHIME Outrigger Telescope has begun localizing mysterious Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) by working in concert with
CHIME (Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment) and other outriggers in Hat Creak, California and Princeton, BC, allowing for detailed multi-messenger followup observations, precise tests of FRB emission models and improved information on the ionized universe. The Outriggers use very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) techniques to achieve milli-arcsecond angular resolution. This, in most cases, can identify a single candidate host galaxy, and localize the burst within that galaxy. An REU student will use commissioning data gathered at the telescope to attempt different methods at improving performance of the Green Bank Outrigger telescope.
CHIME telecope
Shaping Plasmas for Medicine: Laser Probes of Cold Atmospheric Plasmas
Cold atmospheric-pressure plasmas (CAPs) are gaining traction for biomedical applications—from
sterilization to encouraging wound healing and even adjunct cancer therapies—but
they’re notoriously hard to control. This REU project asks a simple question with
big impact: how can changing the shape of the driving voltage (traditional sinusoidal
vs. programmable arbitrary waveforms) steer plasma behavior? The student will use
active laser spectroscopy—laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and two-photon absorption
LIF (TALIF)—to quantify key species and temperatures, and field diagnostics—electric-field-induced
second harmonic (EFISH) and quantum beat spectroscopy (QBS)—to map time-resolved
electric-field dynamics that govern stability and reactive chemistry. By varying
waveform shapes, we’ll link drive parameters to measurable changes in plume stability,
gas temperature, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species concentrations—ultimately
identifying strategies for more stable, tunable operation in biomedical contexts.
Students will gain hands-on experience in optics and alignment, waveform generation
and high-voltage safety, fast data acquisition, and analysis (lineshape fitting,
time-series/FFT methods) using Python/Matlab.
Pulsar Searches and Timing (Supervisor:
Dr. Maura McLaughlin)
The group at WVU is involved in multiple large-scale pulsar surveys with the Green
Bank and Arecibo telescopes. These searches are critical for discovering high timing
precision millisecond pulsars that will increase the sensitivity of the NANOGrav
pulsar timing array. Such pulsar searches also reveal exotic binaries that can
be used to test general relativity and constrain the neutron star equation of state,
young pulsars in supernova remnants that can tell us about supernova kick velocities,
pulsars with a range of emission properties and intermittency timescales that inform
the physics of pulsar emission, and can discover new FRBs. One REU student
will analyze pulsar and transients data, lead follow-up observations of newly discovered
pulsars, and learn how to “time” pulsars and thereby determine their periods, period
derivatives, and binary parameters (if applicable). This project is expected to
result in a publication with timing solutions for a number of newly discovered
pulsars.
Figure - The sky covered from the start of the Green Bank Northern Celestial
Cap (GBNCC) survey from 2009 until 2019. Thus far, 161 pulsars, including 20 MSPs
and 11 RRATs, have been discovered in this survey. The REU students funded from
this proposal would help process the data accumulated in 2019 and the first half
of 2020, which we expect to result in the discovery of ~20 pulsars.
Laboratory Plasma Experiments (Supervisor:
Dr. Earl Scime)
Students will participate in research on the PHAse Space MApping (PHASMA)
experiment. PHASMA is a new experimental plasma facility with advanced diagnostics
for magnetic field, electric field, and particle measurements. The student will
be assigned to work with one of the diagnostic teams for the summer and will be
responsible for operating the diagnostic, performing measurements, and analyzing
the results. Specific projects include microwave scattering for turbulence measurements,
3D electron velocity distribution function measurements, and construction and implementation
of an impedance probe.
Associating Pulsars with Supernova Remnant Candidates
Supernova remnants are the glowing embers of a supernova explosion from a high-mass
star or a white dwarf and represent our clearest indicator of past supernovae.
While some supernovae lead to the creation of black holes, others are left with
compact objects at their centers, neutron stars. We have observed many such
neutron stars as pulsars. If we can associate SNRs and pulsars, we can use
the inferred pulsar properties to learn about the SNR population. Compared
with similar galaxies, we know that our Milky Way Galaxy should have far more SNRs
than are currently cataloged. In our recent paper, we identified 239 SNR
candidates (
https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.16607). The goal of this project will be to
associate known pulsars with both the known and candidate SNR samples, which hopefully
will allow us to learn more about the Galactic SNR population.
Known SNRs observed in the mid-infrared (left panels) and new MeerKAT 1.3GHz data
(right panels). We hypothesize that some of these may have pulsars at their
centers. From Anderson et al. (2025).
