Robert Lysak

Director of Graduate Studies, School of Physics and Astronomy, 1995-2001. Editor, Symposium on “Alfvénic Structures: From the Sun to the Magnetosphere,” Advances in Space Research, 2001; Member, National Academy of Sciences, Solar and Space Physics Survey; Panel on Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Atmosphere, 2001; Chapman Conference Chair, American Geophysical Union, 2002-2006; Convener, Winckler Symposium: Fast time variations of auroral particle participation, Minneapolis, April, 2004; Convener, Symposium on “Electrodynamics of Aurora,” 2005 IAGA Scientific Assembly, Toulouse, France, July, 2005; Convener, Symposium on “Nonlinear and Kinetic Physics of ULF and VLF Waves,” AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, 2005; Best Dissertation Award Committee, Graduate School, 2005-08. Graduate School Fellowship Committee, member; 2006-08; co-chair, 2008-10; co-editor, Magnetospheric ULF Waves: Synthesis and New Directions, AGU Monograph 169, 2006; Co-convener, Symposium on “Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Coupling and Auroral Particle Acceleration, 36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly; Beijing, China, July, 2006; Co-director, School on “Turbulence and Waves in Space Plasmas,” International School of Space Science, L’Aguila, Italy, September, 2007. Main Scientific Organizer, Symposium on “Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Coupling: The Role of Alfvén Waves in Auroral Processes,” 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Montreal, July, 2008; Member, Geospace Environmental Modeling Steering Committee, 2010-present; Senior Editor, Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics, 2010-2013.

My research emphasizes a fundamental theoretical understanding of the dynamics of plasmas in the Earth's magnetosphere, as well as in other planetary magnetospheres, the solar wind, and other astrophysical environments. I am particularly interested in the dynamics of the Earth's auroral regions. In these regions, strong currents flow along the magnetic field ("field-aligned currents") that are dissipated in the ionosphere and by accelerating the particles that produce the aurora. Changes in these current systems are mediated by waves called Alfven waves, which correspond to transverse fluctuations of the geomagnetic field. Although Alfven waves were first studied using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory, I have approached them using a more complete kinetic theory; thus, these waves are sometimes called kinetic Alfven waves. Such waves can directly accelerate electrons into the ionosphere to produce the aurora. In addition, we are studying the ways in which these waves can evolve into quasi-static parallel electric fields that are known to be associated with discrete auroral arcs. These studies lead to an overall understanding of ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves in the magnetosphere, especially the eigenmodes that can form due to the inhomogeneous nature of the magnetospheric plasma. Parallel electric fields are also necessary for the process called magnetic reconnection, which refers to the reorganization of the magnetic topology in thin current sheets. We study the dynamics of these processes as well. ULF waves are also important in Jupiter's magnetosphere, where they are driven by the motion of Jupiter's moon Io. Alfven waves may also be responsible for processes in the solar corona, such as solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and the heating of the corona to millions of degrees.