Dr. Erwin Verwichte Associate Professor Centre for Fusion, Space & Astrophysics Physics Department University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7AL, UK phone: +44(0)2476 524917 fax: +44(0)2476 150897 email: Erwin.Verwichte(at)warwick.ac.uk

[Background] [Research profile] [Research projects] [Selected publications] [Teaching] [Amateur Astronomy]

Research profile

Theory and observations of magnetohydrodynamic wave phenomena in laboratory plasmas and in the solar corona, and the determination of physical coronal plasma parameters from observations of MHD wave characteristics.

Background

Dr Erwin Verwichte's research interests are in theoretical and observational plasma physics, applied to both astrophysical and fusion plasmas, specifically on the topic of MHD waves and instabilities. Erwin Verwichte joined the CFSA in January 2004 as a PPARC postdoctoral fellow, working with Dr Valery Nakariakov on MHD waves in the solar corona. In October 2006, he has become a Assistant Professor on a position funded by the EPSRC Science and Innovation Award dedicated to fusion plasma physics. Prior to his appointments at Warwick, he has been a postdoctoral research fellow at the Royal Observator of Belgium (1999-2004). He has gained a PhD in applied mathematics from the Open University (2000) whilst based in the Solar Theory Group of the University of St Andrews. His first degree was in Physics (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, 1995).

Research projects

Theory and observations of waves and oscillations in the solar corona

• Transverse waves in the solar corona
• Longitudinal waves in the solar corona
• Visualisation of linear MHD waves in a coronal loop

Theory of MHD waves and instabilities

• Plasma diagnostics using MHD waves
• Damping of slow MHD coronal loop oscillations by shocks
• Nonlinear behaviour of an Alfvén pulse
• Dissipative instability of MHD tangential discontinuity in magnetized plasmas

Application of image-analysis techniques to solar image data

• Automated analysis of solar active regions
• 3d visualisation of datasets using chromo-stereoscopy

Selected publications

• Chin, R.J., Verwichte, E., Rowlands, G. and Nakariakov, V.M.: 2010, Self-organisation of magnetoacoustic waves in a thermal unstable environment, Physics of Plasmas in press.
• Smith, H.M. and Verwichte, E.: 2009, Compressional Alfvén eigenmode structure in spherical tokamaks, Plasma Phys. Contr. Fusion 51, 075001
• Verwichte, E., Aschwanden, M.J., Van Doorsselaere, T., Foullon, C. and Nakariakov, V.M.: 2009, Seismology of a large solar coronal loop from EUVI/STEREO observations of its transverse oscillation, Astrophys. J. 698, 397-404
• Verwichte, E., Haynes, M., Arber, T.D. and Brady, C.S.: 2008, Damping of slow MHD coronal loop oscillation by shocks, Astrophys J. 685, 1286
• Nakariakov, V.M. and Verwichte, E.: 2005, Coronal Waves and Oscillations, Living Rev. Solar Phys. 3, 1-63.
• Verwichte, E., Nakariakov, V.M. and Cooper, F.C.: 2005, Transverse waves in a post-flare supra-arcade, Astron. Astrophys. 430, L65-L68
• Verwichte, E., Nakariakov, V.M., Ofman, L. and DeLuca, E.E.: 2004, Characteristics of transverse oscillations in a coronal loop arcade, Solar Physics 223, 77-94

Click here for a full publications list

Teaching

• Undergraduate Physics course: Electrodynamics (PX384)
• Postgraduate Physics course:Waves in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas (MPAGS L1)
• Undergraduate final year projects
• Undergraduate Summer projects

Amateur Astronomy

Click here for a link to several pages on my past and present activities in amateur astronomy