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Riverside, California
Faculty & Staff

Gary P. Zank
Director of IGPP-URC and Professor of Physics
Ph.D. 1987, University of Natal, South Africa

Astrophysics

E-mail: gary.zank@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) 827-4508
Fax: (951) 827-4529

My research interests are broad, ranging from space physics to astrophysics to laboratory plasma physics and a little mathematical biology. I use a combination of large computer simulations and analysis to address problems of interest and the results are then related, where possible, to observations.

In space physics, my activities encompass the physics of the solar corona and solar wind acceleration, the interaction of the solar wind with the non-magnetized bodies, the interplanetary medium (turbulence, shock waves, solar wind composition, neutral and charged particle transport, particle acceleration, solar energetic particles and cosmic rays, dust, etc.), and the interaction of the heliosphere with the local interstellar medium (LISM). I maintain an active research program in several areas of plasma astrophysics, focusing primarily but not exclusively on galactic cosmic rays, the interstellar medium, galactic magnetic fields, and the interaction of stellar winds with their local interstellar environment. In addition, I contribute occasionally to problems in laboratory plasma physics. The areas in which I work are:

  • Global structure of the heliosphere;
  • MHD turbulence in the solar corona, solar wind and interstellar medium;
  • Physics of the outer heliosphere;
  • Interaction of non-magnetized bodies (comets, in particular) with the solar wind;
  • Particle acceleration at shock waves in the solar wind;
  • Acceleration of galactic cosmic rays at supernova remnants and associated gamma-ray production;
  • Energetic particle transport and cosmic ray modulation;
  • Shock waves, non-linear plasma waves and mathematical techniques;
  • Space weather;
  • Physics of the corona and acceleration of the solar wind;
  • Basic MHD theory;
  • Interaction of stellar winds with the ISM;
  • Basic laboratory plasma physics; and
  • The mathematical modeling of biological invasions.

    Although my research activities are primarily theoretical, I am also involved in several experimental and observational programs, both directly and as a guest investigator. These are the Voyager Interstellar Mission (magnetometer), European Space Agency (ESA) ROSETTA ORBITER plasma package (ROPP), two proposed small explorer (SMEX) satellites, one called IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) with Southwest Research Institute and the other called PATH (Particle Acceleration in Turbulent Plasmas) with the University of Michigan, the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) (as a guest investigator) and Ulysses (as a guest investigator), and the Hubble Space Telescope.

    Selected Publications

    Modelling the interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium: A theoretical perspective, G.P. Zank, Space Science Reviews, 89, 3-4, 413-687 (1999).

    Interaction of the Solar Wind with the Local Interstellar Medium, H.L. Pauls, G.P. Zank and L.L. Williams, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 21,595-21,604 (1995).

    Interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium: A multifluid approach, G.P. Zank, H.L. Pauls, D. Hall and L.L. Williams, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 21,639-21,656 (1996).

    Interaction of a non-uniform solar wind with the local interstellar medium. II. A two fluid model, H.L. Pauls and G.P. Zank, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 19,779-19,787 (1997).

    One-Shock or Two-Shock Heliosphere: Lyman- Observations and Measurements, K.G. Gayley, G.P. Zank, H.L. Pauls, P.C. Frisch, and D.E. Welty, Ap. J., 487, 259-270 (1997).

    Turn-on of 2-3 kHz radiation beyond the heliopause, I.H. Cairns and G.P. Zank, Geophysical Research Letters, 29 (7),47-1—47-4, Paper number 2001GL014112 (2002).

    Observational estimates for the mass-loss rates of alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri using HST Ly-alpha spectra, B.E. Wood, J.L. Linsky, H.-R. Müller, and G.P. Zank, The Astrophysical Journal (Letters), 547, L49-L52 (2001).

    The equations of nearly incompressible fluids:I. Hydrodynamics, turbulence and waves, G.P. Zank and W.H. Matthaeus, Phys. Fluids A, 3, 69-82 (1991).

    Nearly Incompressible Fluids II: Magnetohydrodynamics, Turbulence and Waves, G.P. Zank and W.H. Matthaeus, Phys. Fluids A, 5, 257-273 (1993).

    Evolution of Turbulent Magnetic Fluctuation Power with Heliospheric Distance, G.P. Zank, W.H. Matthaeus and C.W. Smith, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 17,093 (1996).

    The radial and latitudinal dependence of the cosmic ray diffusion tensor in the heliosphere, G.P. Zank, W.H. Matthaeus, J.W. Bieber, and H. Moraal, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 2085 (1998).

    An evaluation of perpendicular diffusion models regarding cosmic ray modulation on the basis of a hydromagnetic description for solar wind turbulence, J.A. Le Roux, G.P. Zank, V.S. Ptuskin and H. Moraal, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 24,845-24,862 (1999).

    Turbulence in the outer heliosphere: A stochastic wave growth model, G.P. Zank and I.H. Cairns, Ap. J., 541, 489-494 (2000).

    Instabilities in energetic particle modified shocks, by G.P. Zank, W.I. Axford, J.F. McKenzie, Astron. Astrophys., 233, 275-284 (1990).

    Particle Injection and the Structure of Energetic Particle Modified Shocks, G.P. Zank, G.M. Webb and D.J. Donohue, Ap. J., 406, 67-91 (1993).

    The Structure of Mass-Loading Shocks. II. Comparison of theory and observation at Comet Halley, G.P. Zank, A.J. Coates, F.M. Neubauer, H. R¾me, C.X. Mazelle, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 7899 (1995).

    Interstellar Pick-up Ions and Perpendicular Shocks: Implications for the Termination Shock and Interplanetary Shocks, G.P. Zank, H.L. Pauls, I.H. Cairns and G.M. Webb, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 457-577 (1996).

    Shock propagation in the outer heliosphere. 3. Pickup ions, MHD and cosmic rays, W.K.M. Rice and G.P. Zank, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 5157-5166(2000).

    Particle acceleration at coronal mass ejection driven shocks: A theoretical model, G.P. Zank, W.K.M. Rice, and C.C. Wu, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 25,079 (2000).

    Numerical solution of the time-dependent kinetic equation for an isotropic pitch-angle scattering, J.Y. Lu, G.P. Zank, and G.M. Webb, The Astrophysical Journal, 550, 34-51 (2001).
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