About
Headquarter for Co-Creation Strategy
Department of Astro-fusion Plasma Physics (AFP)
The purpose and activities of the Department of Astro-fusion Plasma Physics (AFP)
More than 99% of the materials that we know of in the universe are in the plasma state. Therefore plasma physics offers basic principles for understanding various phenomena occurring in the universe. Plasma physics also provides the fundamental research engine in developing the fusion reactor, which is expected to be the ultimate energy source for human beings.
The National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) are two representative institutes in the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) for plasma physics research. These institutes have been conducting international research collaborations based on their worldwide research networks. For the purpose of strengthening such international collaboration activities with the emphasis on promoting the interdisciplinary scope of research, a new research unit of IRCC-AFP (International Research Collaboration Center, Astro-fusion Plasma Physics research unit) was established.
A new direction of the research activity of the Integrated Plasma Physics, which merges fusion plasma physics and astronomical plasma physics, is becoming more active recently in the United States and in Europe as well. The Max-Planck Society established the Max-Planck Center for the plasma physics together with Princeton University in the United States. This Max-Planck Center is an official (virtual) institute in society and has the role of international research collaborations. IRCC-AFP is promoting new research activities of the Integral Plasma Physics in collaboration with the Max-Planck Center for plasma physics as an international network involving three regions in the world.
An important elements of the research activities of IRCC-AFP are the IRCC-AFP fellows who are young scientists employed in the IRCC for the exclusive role of international research collaboration in plasma physics. This fellow is selected by the open job call under the collaboration of IRCC-AFP with Princeton University and the Max-Planck institutes. The main work place of this fellow is either in Princeton University or the Max-Planck institutes where he/she will be devoted to the role of promoting the collaboration research between Japan and the United States or Europe. Another part of IRCC-AFP research activities is establishing the international research collaboration network for plasma physics including domestic collaboration networks together with researchers in Japanese Universities who are active in international collaboration.
Research activity
(1) International research collaboration with Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
International Specially Appointed Research Employee (Ph.D.): Fabien Widmer
Supervisor 1: Associate Professor Mami Machida (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)
Supervisor 2: Dr. Emanuele Poli (Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics)
Main research location: Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (Garching, Germany)
It is known that strong interactions exist in astrophysical plasmas and fusion plasmas among turbulence, magnetic reconnection phenomena and dynamics of magnetic island formation. It is because the non-linear interactions and exchanges of energy take place between the microscopic turbulent processes and the large-scale structural formation of the magnetic islands. We will use the 5D gyrokinetic framework, a reduced kinetic model, which is the most advanced theory of micro-turbulence in magnetic fusion plasmas, for studying important physics problems in these phenomena such as 1) the analysis of the dynamic processes triggering the magnetic reconnection phenomena, 2) the interactions between the turbulent processes and magnetic island formation.
(2) International research collaboration with the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University
International Specially Appointed Research Employee (Ph.D.): Arno Vanthieghem
Supervisor 1: Prof. Yasushi Todo (National Institute for Fusion Science)
Supervisor 2: Prof. Anatoly Spitkovsky (Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University)
Main research location: Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University
Powerful astrophysical objects such as gamma-ray bursts, blazars, and supernovae provide ideal environments for efficient particle acceleration and energy channeling between different plasma species. Bursts of high-energy particles and heating result from an efficient conversion of kinetic or Poynting flux in thermal and nonthermal distributions through collective plasma processes. Astrophysical shock waves are one of the most outstanding and extensively studied representatives of such complex many-body phenomena. They cover a large variety of physical conditions in magnetization, velocity, and composition, and are intrinsically nonlinear across very disparate scales. The study of these systems is a key challenge to unveiling the physics underlying observed multimessenger spectra. This nonlinear problem is tackled using large-scale Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations in combination with linear and nonlinear analytical models.
(3) International research collaboration with the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University
Joint Appointment for the Associate Research Scholar of the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University : Dr. Samuel Totorica
Collaborator (PI) 1: Prof. Mami Machida (National Institutes of Natural Sciences)
Collaborator (PI) 2: Prof. Amitava Bhattacharjee (Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University) Research locations：National Institutes of Natural Sciences and Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University
Astrophysical jets with well-collimated supersonic plasma flows can be observed in various layers of the universe, such as protostars, X-ray binaries (compact objects), and active galactic nuclei (AGN). One of the most important aspects of jet activity is the energy release of the black hole gravitational energy, which reaches over 108 times the Schwarzschild radius. The jet is considered to be the origin of accelerated cosmic ray particles in the energy range of 1015 to 1017 eV for X-ray binaries and 1018 eV or more for AGNs. Supersonic jets form various shocks in the jet beam, and these shocks become the sites of particle acceleration. Since the jet is a magnetized plasma, magnetic reconnection is expected to occur. We will use fully kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to study particle acceleration and radiation associated with these systems and develop reduced models to improve magnetohydrodynamic simulations of global jet evolution.
(4) International cooperation Section Japan, the United States and Germany
Member of Department of Astro-fusion Plasma Physics (AFP)
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Job Title |
Name |
Remarks |
|
|
Department Director Project Professor |
Kazuhiro Sekiguchi |
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan |
|
|
Associate Professor |
Mami Machida |
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan | |
|
Project Assistant Professor (NAOJ Fellow) |
Hiroki Nagakura | National Astronomical Observatory of Japan | |
|
Professor |
Yasushi Todo | National Institute for Fusion Science | |
|
Associate Professor |
Motoki Nakata | National Institute for Fusion Science | |
|
Visiting Professor |
Hantao Ji |
(1) Professor of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (2) Distinguished Research Fellow, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory |
I am interested in basic plasma physics phenomena common in space, solar and astrophysical plasmas, as well as in laboratory plasmas including fusion-related plasmas. My primary research subjects include magnetic reconnection, magnetorotational instability in the lab, magnetized high-energy-density laser plasmas, free-surface liquid metal flow in magnetic field, and magnetic self-organization in laboratory plasmas. My primary research approach is to conduct experiments aided by theory, numerical simulation, and machine learning techniques. In the Department of Astro-fusion Plasma Physics (AFP), I intend to collaborate or to facilitate broad collaborations with students, postdocs, and researchers at NINS, including both NIFS and NAOJ, on any subjects listed above, as well as other related topics, based on mutual visits and joint projects. |
|
Visiting Professor |
Per Helander |
(1)Director at the Max Planck Insti tute for Plasma Physics (Responsible for the Stellarator Theory Division) |
My personal research interests include the kineti c theory of plasma equilibria, instabiliti es andturbulence, in parti cular with regard to plasmas confi ned by stellarators and tokamaks. At the Department ofAstro-Fusion Plasma Physics, I have been involved in the selecti on of postdoctoral researchers hired by IRCC-AFP. |
|
Visiting Professor |
Ryoji Matsumoto |
Chiba University |
My personal research interests include the kineti c theory of plasma equilibria, instabiliti es andturbulence, in parti cular with regard to plasmas confi ned by stellarators and tokamaks. At the Department ofAstro-Fusion Plasma Physics, I have been involved in the selecti on of postdoctoral researchers hired by IRCC-AFP. |
|
Visiting Professor |
Yasushi Ono |
The University of Tokyo |
My main research fields in AFP are laboratory astrophysics, especially experimental studies of magnetic reconnection and magnetic self-organization using torus plasma merging experiments: TS-4, UTST, TS-6 and ST-40. This unique approach focuses on interrelationship of laboratory plasma experiments, space/ solar/ astrophysical plasma observations and numerical/ theoretical plasma studies and their applications to fusion plasmas, based on the international and interdisciplinary collaborations. We organized the international collaboration program CMSO and MR/IPELS international conferences for physics and application of magnetic reconnection/ self-organization for international and interdisciplinary plasma research and education of young scientists. |
|
Visiting Professor |
Tomohiko Watanabe |
Nagoya University |
I have been studying a variety of issues in plasma physics common to fusion and astrophysical plasmas by means of numerical simulations on supercomputers. Specifically, I am interested in nonlinear phenomena with plasma kinetic effects. Recent research topics are related to turbulent transport in fusion plasma and auroral dynamics in the terrestrial magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. |
|
Visiting Associate Professor |
Kengo Tomida |
Tohoku University |
I study star and planet formation processes using non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations. I am one of the core developers of the Athena++ adaptive mesh refinement framework for astrophysical simulations. |
|
Visiting Assistant Professor |
Yohei Kawadura |
Tohoku University |
My area of expertise is in theoretical and computational research on plasma turbulence in the context of astrophysics, including topics such as solar wind and black hole accretion flows. I am particularly interested in studying both collisional and collisionless astrophysical turbulence by using theoretical models, such as gyrokinetics, drift kinetics, and reduced magnetohydrodynamics, which have been developed in the field of magnetic confinement fusion. In AFP, I will contribute to bridging turbulent reconnection in magnetically confined plasma and in astrophysical systems. |
|
Visiting Assistant Professor |
Gen Chiaki |
National Institute of Technology, Kochi College |
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|
Specially Appointed Research Employee |
Fabien Widmer |
Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics |
|
|
Specially Appointed Research Employee |
Arno Vanthieghem | Princeton University | |
|
Specially Appointed Research Employee |
Samuel Totorica |
Princeton University (Joint Appointment) |
News
The annual meeting of MPPC program is held in Princeton University (January 19 - 26, 2021)
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