This $340,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program supports collaborative research at Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The research aims to develop physics-based models of kinetic, non-equilibrium processes in astrophysical plasmas, with a focus on (1) particle heating and acceleration in shocks and (2) thermodynamics and transport driven by large-scale turbulence. The project will leverage numerical simulations, analytical theory, and spacecraft data to extract simple descriptions of these complex astrophysical systems and derive testable predictions for observables like X-ray and radio emissions from galaxy cluster plasmas, dynamics of plasma orbiting black holes, and mechanisms powering cosmic explosions. The grant also includes an educational component to engage undergraduate students and expose local high school students to astrophysical research. No sub-awards are planned under this grant, which has an award date of August 1, 2024 and an ultimate completion date of July 31, 2027.
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