Gang Li

Bio: Gang Li is an academic researcher from Chinese Academy of Sciences. The author has contributed to research in topics: Particle acceleration & Solar wind. The author has an hindex of 48, co-authored 406 publications receiving 7713 citations. Previous affiliations of Gang Li include Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology & University of California, Berkeley.

Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) Investigation: Design of the Solar Wind and Coronal Plasma Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus

Abstract: The Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP) Investigation on Solar Probe Plus is a four sensor instrument suite that provides complete measurements of the electrons and ionized helium and hydrogen that constitute the bulk of solar wind and coronal plasma. SWEAP consists of the Solar Probe Cup (SPC) and the Solar Probe Analyzers (SPAN). SPC is a Faraday Cup that looks directly at the Sun and measures ion and electron fluxes and flow angles as a function of energy. SPAN consists of an ion and electron electrostatic analyzer (ESA) on the ram side of SPP (SPAN-A) and an electron ESA on the anti-ram side (SPAN-B). The SPAN-A ion ESA has a time of flight section that enables it to sort particles by their mass/charge ratio, permitting differentiation of ion species. SPAN-A and -B are rotated relative to one another so their broad fields of view combine like the seams on a baseball to view the entire sky except for the region obscured by the heat shield and covered by SPC. Observations by SPC and SPAN produce the combined field of view and measurement capabilities required to fulfill the science objectives of SWEAP and Solar Probe Plus. SWEAP measurements, in concert with magnetic and electric fields, energetic particles, and white light contextual imaging will enable discovery and understanding of solar wind acceleration and formation, coronal and solar wind heating, and particle acceleration in the inner heliosphere of the solar system. SPC and SPAN are managed by the SWEAP Electronics Module (SWEM), which distributes power, formats onboard data products, and serves as a single electrical interface to the spacecraft. SWEAP data products include ion and electron velocity distribution functions with high energy and angular resolution. Full resolution data are stored within the SWEM, enabling high resolution observations of structures such as shocks, reconnection events, and other transient structures to be selected for download after the fact. This paper describes the implementation of the SWEAP Investigation, the driving requirements for the suite, expected performance of the instruments, and planned data products, as of mission preliminary design review.

Energetic particle acceleration and transport at coronal mass ejection–driven shocks

Abstract: [1] Evidence now exists which suggests that in large solar energetic particle (SEP) events, particles are often accelerated to ∼ MeV energies (and perhaps up to GeV energies) at shock waves driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These energetic particles are of considerable importance to space weather studies since they serve as a precursor signal for possible disruptive events at the Earth. As a CME-driven shock propagates, expands and weakens, particles accelerated diffusively at the shock can escape upstream and downstream into the interplanetary medium. The escaping energized particles propagate along the interplanetary magnetic field, experiencing only weak scattering from fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). In this work, we study the time-dependent transport of energetic particles accelerated at a propagating shock using a Monte-Carlo approach. This treatment, together with our previous work on particle acceleration at shocks, allows us to investigate the characteristics (intensity profiles, angular distribution, particle anisotropies) of high-energy particles arriving at various distances from the sun. Such an approach is both easy to implement and allows us to study the affect of interplanetary turbulence on particle transport in a systematic manner. These theoretical models form an excellent basis on which to interpret observations of high-energy particles made in situ at 1 AU by spacecraft such as ACE and WIND.

Particle acceleration at perpendicular shock waves: Model and observations

Abstract: Received 7 November 2005; revised 17 February 2006; accepted 27 February 2006; published 23 June 2006. [1] On the basis of a recently developed nonlinear guiding center theory for the perpendicular spatial diffusion coefficient k? used to describe the transport of energetic particles, we construct a model for diffusive particle acceleration at highly perpendicular shocks, i.e., shocks whose upstream magnetic field is almost orthogonal to the shock normal. We use k? to investigate energetic particle anisotropy and injection energy at shocks of all obliquities, finding that at 1 AU, for example, parallel and perpendicular shocks can inject protons with equal facility. It is only at highly perpendicular shocks that very high injection energies are necessary. Similar results hold for the termination shock. Furthermore, the inclusion of self-consistent wave excitation at quasiparallel shocks in evaluating the particle acceleration timescale ensures that it is significantly smaller than that for highly perpendicular shocks at low to intermediate energies and comparable at high energies. Thus higher proton energies are achieved at quasiparallel rather than highly perpendicular interplanetary shocks within 1 AU. However, both injection energy and the acceleration timescale at highly perpendicular shocks are sensitive to assumptions about the ratio of the two-dimensional (2-D) correlation length scale to the slab correlation length scale l2D/lk. Model proton spectra and intensity profiles accelerated by a highly perpendicular interplanetary shock are compared to an identical but parallel interplanetary shock, revealing important distinctions. Finally, we present observations of highly perpendicular interplanetary shocks that show that the absence of upstream wave activity does not inhibit particle acceleration at a perpendicular shock. The accelerated particle distributions closely resemble those expected of diffusive shock acceleration, and observed at oblique shocks, an example of which is shown.

Imaging and Spectroscopic Observations of Magnetic Reconnection and Chromospheric Evaporation in a Solar Flare

Abstract: Magnetic reconnection is believed to be the dominant energy release mechanism in solar flares. The standard flare model predicts both downward and upward outflow plasmas with speeds close to the coronal Alfven speed. Yet, spectroscopic observations of such outflows, especially the downflows, are extremely rare. With observations of the newly launched Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), we report the detection of a greatly redshifted (∼125 km s{sup –1} along the line of sight) Fe XXI 1354.08 A emission line with a ∼100 km s{sup –1} nonthermal width at the reconnection site of a flare. The redshifted Fe XXI feature coincides spatially with the loop-top X-ray source observed by RHESSI. We interpret this large redshift as the signature of downward-moving reconnection outflow/hot retracting loops. Imaging observations from both IRIS and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory also reveal the eruption and reconnection processes. Fast downward-propagating blobs along these loops are also found from cool emission lines (e.g., Si IV, O IV, C II, Mg II) and images of AIA and IRIS. Furthermore, the entire Fe XXI line is blueshifted by ∼260 km s{sup –1} at the loop footpoints, where the cool lines mentioned above all exhibitmore » obvious redshift, a result that is consistent with the scenario of chromospheric evaporation induced by downward-propagating nonthermal electrons from the reconnection site.« less

Diffusive shock acceleration and reconnection acceleration processes

Abstract: Shock waves, as shown by simulations and observations, can generate high levels of downstream vortical turbulence, including magnetic islands. We consider a combination of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) and downstream magnetic-island-reconnection-related processes as an energization mechanism for charged particles. Observations of electron and ion distributions downstream of interplanetary shocks and the heliospheric termination shock (HTS) are frequently inconsistent with the predictions of classical DSA. We utilize a recently developed transport theory for charged particles propagating diffusively in a turbulent region filled with contracting and reconnecting plasmoids and small-scale current sheets. Particle energization associated with the anti-reconnection electric field, a consequence of magnetic island merging, and magnetic island contraction, are considered. For the former only, we find that (i) the spectrum is a hard power law in particle speed, and (ii) the downstream solution is constant. For downstream plasmoid contraction only, (i) the accelerated spectrum is a hard power law in particle speed; (ii) the particle intensity for a given energy peaks downstream of the shock, and the distance to the peak location increases with increasing particle energy, and (iii) the particle intensity amplification for a particular particle energy, f(x,c/c_0)/f(0,c/c_0), is not 1, as predicted by DSA, but increases with increasing particle energy. The general solution combines both the reconnection-induced electric field and plasmoid contraction. The observed energetic particle intensity profile observed by Voyager 2 downstream of the HTS appears to support a particle acceleration mechanism that combines both DSA and magnetic-island-reconnection-related processes.

The Quantum Theory of Light

Abstract: (b) Write out the equations for the time dependence of ρ11, ρ22, ρ12 and ρ21 assuming that a light field interaction V = -μ12Ee iωt + c.c. couples only levels |1> and |2>, and that the excited levels exhibit spontaneous decay. (8 marks) (c) Under steady-state conditions, find the ratio of populations in states |2> and |3>. (3 marks) (d) Find the slowly varying amplitude ̃ ρ 12 of the polarization ρ12 = ̃ ρ 12e iωt . (6 marks) (e) In the limiting case that no decay is possible from intermediate level |3>, what is the ground state population ρ11(∞)? (2 marks) 2. (15 marks total) In a 2-level atom system subjected to a strong field, dressed states are created in the form |D1(n)> = sin θ |1,n> + cos θ |2,n-1> |D2(n)> = cos θ |1,n> sin θ |2,n-1>

Heavy quarkonium: progress, puzzles, and opportunities

Abstract: A golden age for heavy-quarkonium physics dawned a decade ago, initiated by the confluence of exciting advances in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and an explosion of related experimental activity. The early years of this period were chronicled in the Quarkonium Working Group (QWG) CERN Yellow Report (YR) in 2004, which presented a comprehensive review of the status of the field at that time and provided specific recommendations for further progress. However, the broad spectrum of subsequent breakthroughs, surprises, and continuing puzzles could only be partially anticipated. Since the release of the YR, the BESII program concluded only to give birth to BESIII; the B-factories and CLEO-c flourished; quarkonium production and polarization measurements at HERA and the Tevatron matured; and heavy-ion collisions at RHIC have opened a window on the deconfinement regime. All these experiments leave legacies of quality, precision, and unsolved mysteries for quarkonium physics, and therefore beg for continuing investigations at BESIII, the LHC, RHIC, FAIR, the Super Flavor and/or Tau-Charm factories, JLab, the ILC, and beyond. The list of newly found conventional states expanded to include h(c)(1P), chi(c2)(2P), B-c(+), and eta(b)(1S). In addition, the unexpected and still-fascinating X(3872) has been joined by more than a dozen other charmonium- and bottomonium-like "XYZ" states that appear to lie outside the quark model. Many of these still need experimental confirmation. The plethora of new states unleashed a flood of theoretical investigations into new forms of matter such as quark-gluon hybrids, mesonic molecules, and tetraquarks. Measurements of the spectroscopy, decays, production, and in-medium behavior of c (c) over bar, b (b) over bar, and b (c) over bar bound states have been shown to validate some theoretical approaches to QCD and highlight lack of quantitative success for others. Lattice QCD has grown from a tool with computational possibilities to an industrial-strength effort now dependent more on insight and innovation than pure computational power. New effective field theories for the description of quarkonium in different regimes have been developed and brought to a high degree of sophistication, thus enabling precise and solid theoretical predictions. Many expected decays and transitions have either been measured with precision or for the first time, but the confusing patterns of decays, both above and below open-flavor thresholds, endure and have deepened. The intriguing details of quarkonium suppression in heavy-ion collisions that have emerged from RHIC have elevated the importance of separating hot- and cold-nuclear-matter effects in quark-gluon plasma studies. This review systematically addresses all these matters and concludes by prioritizing directions for ongoing and future efforts.

Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star

Abstract: This program was supported by the the Kavli Foundation, Danish National Research Foundation, the Niels Bohr International Academy, and the DARK Cosmology Centre. The UCSC group is supported in part by NSF grant AST-1518052, the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, generous donations from many individuals through a UCSC Giving Day grant, and from fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (R.J.F.), the David and Lucile Packard Foundation (R.J.F. and E.R.) and the Niels Bohr Professorship from the DNRF (E.R.). AMB acknowledges support from a UCMEXUS-CONACYT Doctoral Fellowship. Support for this work was provided by NASA through Hubble Fellowship grants HST-HF-51348.001 (B.J.S.) and HST-HF-51373.001 (M.R.D.) awarded by the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., for NASA, under contract NAS5-26555. This paper includes data gathered with the 1 meter Swope and 6.5 meter Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.r (AGILE) The AGILE Team thanks the ASI management, the technical staff at the ASI Malindi ground station, the technical support team at the ASI Space Science Data Center, and the Fucino AGILE Mission Operation Center. AGILE is an ASI space mission developed with programmatic support by INAF and INFN. We acknowledge partial support through the ASI grant No. I/028/12/2. We also thank INAF, Italian Institute of Astrophysics, and ASI, Italian Space Agency.r (ANTARES) The ANTARES Collaboration acknowledges the financial support of: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives (CEA), Commission Europeenne (FEDER fund and Marie Curie Program), Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), IdEx program and UnivEarthS Labex program at Sorbonne Paris Cite (ANR-10-LABX-0023 and ANR-11-IDEX-0005-02), Labex OCEVU (ANR-11-LABX-0060) and the A*MIDEX project (ANR-11-IDEX-0001-02), Region Ile-de-France (DIM-ACAV), Region Alsace (contrat CPER), Region Provence-Alpes-Cite d'Azur, Departement du Var and Ville de La Seyne-sur-Mer, France; Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Germany; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Italy; Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO), the Netherlands; Council of the President of the Russian Federation for young scientists and leading scientific schools supporting grants, Russia; National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS), Romania;...