Dr Christopher Chen
Senior Lecturer in Space Plasma Physics
Email: christopher.chen@qmul.ac.ukTelephone: +44 (0)20 7882 7025Room Number: G. O. Jones Building, Room 513Twitter: @CHKChen
Profile
Dr Christopher Chen is a Senior Lecturer in the Astronomy Unit of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Queen Mary University of London. He gained his PhD in Space Physics at Imperial College London in 2011, before taking up a research position at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2013, he returned to Imperial as a Junior Research Fellow and in 2016 was awarded an STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship. In 2017, he moved to QMUL to become a Lecturer, and then in 2021 Senior Lecturer, in Space Plasma Physics.
Teaching
2021-22
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)
SPA5307 Stars (Module Associate)
SPA6776/SPA6913 Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)
2020-21
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)
SPA7015U Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)
2019-20
SPA7004U/P Astrophysical Plasmas (Module Organiser / Lecturer)
SPA6305 Physics of Galaxies (Deputy Module Orgniser)
SPA6776 Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)
2018-19
SPA6300 Synoptic Physics (Lecturer)
SPA6305 Physics of Galaxies (Deputy Module Orgniser)
SPA6776/SPA6913 Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)
2017-18
SPA6300 Synoptic Physics (Lecturer)
SPA6305 Physics of Galaxies (Deputy Module Orgniser)
SPA6776Undergraduate Projects (Supervisor)
Research
Research Interests:
My research interests are in space plasma physics, in particular the solar wind and the variety of processes that occur within it. The solar wind is created as material from the Sun is continually propelled into interplanetary space - this material is so hot that the majority of its particles are ionised, forming a plasma that displays a rich variety of complex behaviour.
The solar wind is one of the best places to study fundamental plasma physics. Throughout the solar wind, there are many spacecraft making detailed in situ measurements of its properties, such as the electromagnetic fields it contains and the distributions of the different particle species. My research involves the analysis of this data, along with theoretical and computational models, to understand its behaviour and address some of the outstanding problems in plasma astrophysics.
In particular, I am interested in solar wind turbulence. The solar wind does not flow smoothly, but displays complex chaotic behaviour over a large range of scales. This turbulence is not well understood, and is particularly interesting because it involves the chaotic interaction between the electromagnetic fields and vast numbers of charged particles, touching on fundamental questions in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. As well as being a topic of fundamental interest, plasma turbulence is thought to play an important role in many areas of modern astrophysics. For example, it is thought to be involved in heating the solar corona to several hundred times the temperature of the Sun's visible surface and accelerating the solar wind, determining the propagation of energetic particles such as cosmic rays, enabling the formation of accretion disks through angular momentum transport, generating the large-scale magnetic fields we see in the universe, and in the space weather events that can impact our society here on Earth.
I am involved in several space missions, including:
- Parker Solar Probe (PSP): I am a member of FIELDS and SWEAP teams of the NASA Parker Solar Probe mission. PSP was launched in August 2018 and is traveling to within 10 solar radii from the centre of the Sun - the first spacecraft to fly through the solar corona - to directly sample the solar wind at its birth. With this data, we will be able to investigate the role played by turbulence and other processes in the heating of the corona and generation of the solar wind.
- Interstellar Probe (ISP): I am a member of the Fields & Waves topical group of the Interstellar Probe mission study. ISP is a mission concept in Study Phase being designed to explore the outer edges of heliosphere and the interstellar plasma. If selected for launch, ISP will become the furthest operating spacecraft from Earth representing humanities frontier of space exploration.
- Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS): MMS is a group of four closely-spaced spacecraft launched in 2015 to study magnetic reconnection and other kinetic plasma processes in and around the Earth's magnetosphere. I am a member of the MMS Science Working Team.
Examples of research funding:
2020-23: STFC Consolidated Grant (Co-I)
2016-21: STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (PI)
2017-18: Royal Society International Exchanges Grant (PI)
2016-18: NASA Heliophysics Supporting Research Grant (Co-I)
2015-17: UK Space Agency Research Grant (Co-I)
Publications
A list of my publications can also be found on ADS or Google Scholar.
- Kasper JC, Klein KG, Lichko E et al. (2021), Parker Solar Probe Enters the Magnetically Dominated Solar Corona $nameOfConference
- Giacalone J, Burgess D, Bale SD et al. (2021), Energetic Particles Associated with a Coronal Mass Ejection Shock Interacting with a Convected Magnetic Structure $nameOfConference
- Duan D, He J, Bowen TA et al. (2021), Anisotropy of Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere at Kinetic Scales: PSP Observations $nameOfConference
- Verscharen D, Wicks RT, Alexandrova O et al. (2021), A Case for Electron-Astrophysics $nameOfConference
- Perez JC, Bourouaine S, Chen C et al. (2021), Applicability of Taylor’s Hypothesis During Parker Solar Probe Perihelia $nameOfConference
- Chen C, Chandran BDG, Woodham LD et al. (2021), The Near-Sun Streamer Belt Solar Wind: Turbulence and Solar Wind Acceleration $nameOfConference
- Martinovic MM, Klein KG, Huang J et al. (2021), Multiscale Solar Wind Turbulence Properties inside and near Switchbacks measured by Parker Solar Probe $nameOfConference
- Wilson LB, Brosius AL, Gopalswamy N et al. (2021), A Quarter Century of Wind Spacecraft Discoveries $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1029/2020rg000714
- Bowen TA, Bale SD, Bandyopadhyay R et al. (2020), Kinetic‐Scale Turbulence in the Venusian Magnetosheath $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1029/2020gl090783
- Bourouaine S, Perez JC, Klein KG et al. (2020), Turbulence Characteristics of Switchback and Nonswitchback Intervals Observed by Parker Solar Probe $nameOfConference
- Zouganelis I, De Groof A, Walsh AP et al. (2020), The Solar Orbiter Science Activity Plan $nameOfConference
- Bowen TA, Mallet A, Bale SD et al. (2020), Constraining Ion-Scale Heating and Spectral Energy Transfer in Inner-Heliophere Observations of Plasma Turbulence $nameOfConference
- McManus MD, Bowen TA, Mallet A et al. (2020), Cross Helicity Reversals in Magnetic Switchbacks $nameOfConference
- Bowen TA, Mallet A, Huang J et al. (2020), Ion-scale Electromagnetic Waves in the Inner Heliosphere $nameOfConference
- Vech D, Kasper JC, Klein KG et al. (2020), Kinetic-scale Spectral Features of Cross Helicity and Residual Energy in the Inner Heliosphere $nameOfConference
- Dudok de Wit T, Krasnoselskikh VV, Bale SD et al. (2020), Switchbacks in the Near-Sun Magnetic Field: Long Memory and Impact on the Turbulence Cascade $nameOfConference
- Martinovic MM, Klein KG, Kasper JC et al. (2020), The Enhancement of Proton Stochastic Heating in the Near-Sun Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Bale SD, Bonnell JW et al. (2020), The Evolution and Role of Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere $nameOfConference
- Duan D, Bowen TA, Chen CHK et al. (2020), The Radial Dependence of Proton-scale Magnetic Spectral Break in Slow Solar Wind during PSP Encounter 2 $nameOfConference
- Bale SD, Badman ST, Bonnell JW et al. (2019), Highly Structured Slow Solar Wind Emerging from an Equatorial Coronal Hole $nameOfConference
- Groselj D, Chen CHK, Mallet A et al. (2019), Kinetic Turbulence in Astrophysical Plasmas: Waves and/or Structures? $nameOfConference
- Sorriso-Valvo L, De Vita G, Fraternale F et al. (2019), Sign Singularity of the Local Energy Transfer in Space Plasma Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Klein KG, Howes GG (2019), Evidence for Electron Landau Damping in Space Plasma Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Roythershteyn V, Boldyrev S, Delzanno GL et al. (2019), Numerical Study of Inertial Kinetic-Alfvén Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Wu W, Verscharen D, Wicks RT et al. (2019), The Fluid-Like and Kinetic Behavior of Kinetic Alfven Turbulence in Space Plasma $nameOfConference
- Safrankova J, Nemecek Z, Nemec F et al. (2019), Scale-Dependent Polarization of Solar Wind Velocity Fluctuations at the Inertial and Kinetic Scales $nameOfConference
- Matteini L, Stansby D, Horbury TS et al. (2018), On the 1/f Spectrum in the Solar Wind and Its Connection with Magnetic Compressibility $nameOfConference
- Franci L, Hellinger P, Guarrasi M et al. (2018), Three-Dimensional Simulations of Solar Wind Turbulence with the Hybrid Code CAMELIA $nameOfConference
- Carbone F, Sorriso-Valvo L, Alberti T et al. (2018), Arbitrary-Order Hilbert Spectral Analysis and Intermittency in Solar Wind Density Fluctuations $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Boldyrev S (2017), Nature of Kinetic Scale Turbulence in the Earth's Magnetosheath $nameOfConference
- Verscharen D, Chen CHK, Wicks RT (2017), On Kinetic Slow Modes, Fluid Slow Modes, and Pressure-Balanced Structures in the Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Sorriso-Valvo L, Carbone F, Leonardis E et al. (2017), Multifractal Analysis of High Resolution Solar Wind Proton Density Measurements $nameOfConference
- Matteini L, Alexandrova O, Chen CHK et al. (2017), Electric and Magnetic Spectra from MHD to Electron Scales in the Magnetosheath $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK (2016), Recent Progress in Astrophysical Plasma Turbulence from Solar Wind Observations $nameOfConference
- Vech D, Chen CHK (2016), Testing the Effects of Expansion on Solar Wind Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Yates JN, Southwood DJ, Dougherty MK et al. (2016), Saturn's Quasiperiodic Magnetohydrodynamic Waves $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1002/2016GL071069
- Vaivads A, Retino A, Soucek J et al. (2016), Turbulence Heating Observer - Satellite Mission Proposal $nameOfConference
- Stansby D, Horbury TS, Chen CHK et al. (2016), Experimental Determination of Whistler Wave Dispersion Relation in the Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Šafránková J, Nemecek Z, Nemec F et al. (2016), Power Spectral Density of Fluctuations of Bulk and Thermal Speeds in the Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Matteini L, Schekochihin AA et al. (2016), Multi-Species Measurements of the Firehose and Mirror Instability Thresholds in the Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Mallet A, Schekochihin AA, Chandran BDG et al. (2016), Measures of Three-Dimensional Anisotropy and Intermittency in Strong Alfvénic Turbulence $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1093/mnras/stw802
- Bale SD, Goetz K, Harvey PR et al. (2016), The FIELDS Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus: Measuring the Coronal Plasma and Magnetic Field, Plasma Waves and Turbulence, and Radio Signatures of Solar Transients $nameOfConference
- Pitna A, Šafránková J, Nemecek Z et al. (2016), Density Fluctuations Upstream and Downstream of Interplanetary Shocks $nameOfConference
- Zhdankin V, Boldyrev S, Chen CHK (2016), Intermittency of Energy Dissipation in Alfvénic Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Yan L, He J, Zhang L et al. (2016), Spectral Anisotropy of Elsässer Variables in Two-Dimensional Wave-Vector Space as Observed in the Fast Solar Wind Turbulence $nameOfConference
- He J, Tu C, Marsch E et al. (2015), Proton Heating in Solar Wind Compressible Turbulence with Collisions between Counter-Propagating Waves $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Matteini L, Burgess D et al. (2015), Magnetic Field Rotations in the Solar Wind at Kinetic Scales $nameOfConference
- Kunz MW, Schekochihin AA, Chen CHK et al. (2015), Inertial-Range Kinetic Turbulence in Pressure-Anisotropic Astrophysical Plasmas $nameOfConference
- Boldyrev S, Chen CHK, Xia Q et al. (2015), Spectral Breaks of Alfvenic Turbulence in a Collisionless Plasma $nameOfConference
- Tong Y, Bale SD, Chen CHK et al. (2015), Effects of Electron Drifts on the Collisionless Damping of Kinetic Alfvén Waves in the Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Šafránková J, Nemecek Z, Nemec F et al. (2015), Solar Wind Density Spectra around the Ion Spectral Break $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Leung L, Boldyrev S et al. (2014), Ion-Scale Spectral Break of Solar Wind Turbulence at High and Low Beta $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1002/2014GL062009
- Chen CHK, Sorriso-Valvo L, Šafránková J et al. (2014), Intermittency of Solar Wind Density Fluctuations from Ion to Electron Scales $nameOfConference
- Wicks RT, Roberts DA, Mallet A et al. (2013), Correlations at Large Scales and the Onset of Turbulence in the Fast Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Alexandrova O, Chen CHK, Sorriso-Valvo L et al. (2013), Solar Wind Turbulence and the Role of Ion Instabilities $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Howes GG, Bonnell JW et al. (2013), Kinetic Scale Density Fluctuations in the Solar Wind $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1063/1.4811008
- Chen CHK, Bale SD, Salem CS et al. (2013), Residual Energy Spectrum of Solar Wind Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Boldyrev S, Xia Q et al. (2013), Nature of Subproton Scale Turbulence in the Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Bale SD, Pulupa M, Salem C et al. (2013), Electron Heat Conduction in the Solar Wind: Transition from Spitzer-Härm to the Collisionless Limit $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Mozer FS (2013), Parallel Electric Field Spectrum of Solar Wind Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Wicks RT, Mallet A, Horbury TS et al. (2013), Alignment and Scaling of Large-Scale Fluctuations in the Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Mallet A, Schekochihin AA et al. (2012), Three-Dimensional Structure of Solar Wind Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Klein KG, Howes GG, TenBarge JM et al. (2012), Using Synthetic Spacecraft Data to Interpret Compressible Fluctuations in Solar Wind Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Salem CS, Bonnell JW et al. (2012), Density Fluctuation Spectrum of Solar Wind Turbulence between Ion and Electron Scales $nameOfConference
- Howes GG, Bale SD, Klein KG et al. (2012), The Slow-mode Nature of Compressible Wave Power in Solar Wind Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Salem CS, Howes GG, Sundkvist D et al. (2012), Identification of Kinetic Alfvén Wave Turbulence in the Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Horbury TS, Wicks RT, Chen CHK (2012), Anisotropy in Space Plasma Turbulence: Solar Wind Observations $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Mallet A, Yousef TA et al. (2011), Anisotropy of Alfvénic Turbulence in the Solar Wind and Numerical Simulations $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Bale SD, Salem CS et al. (2011), Frame Dependence of the Electric Field Spectrum of Solar Wind Turbulence $nameOfConference
- Wicks RT, Horbury TS, Chen CHK et al. (2011), Anisotropy of Imbalanced Alfvénic Turbulence in Fast Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Wicks RT, Horbury TS, Chen CHK et al. (2010), Power and Spectral Index Anisotropy of the Entire Inertial Range of Turbulence in the Fast Solar Wind $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Horbury TS, Schekochihin AA et al. (2010), Anisotropy of Solar Wind Turbulence between Ion and Electron Scales $nameOfConference
- Chen CHK, Wicks RT, Horbury TS et al. (2010), Interpreting Power Anisotropy Measurements in Plasma Turbulence $nameOfConference
Supervision
PhD students that I currently supervise:
- Jesse Coburn, 2018-2022
- Jack McIntyre, 2020-2024
If you are interested in undertaking a PhD project with me, please see the details of the AU PhD Programme and send me an email expressing your interest together with your CV.
Public Engagement
I have a variety of experience in public engagement. Some examples are listed below. Feel free to contact me if you would like me to take part in your public engagement activity.
News Articles
Researchers uncover intense chaotic motions of the solar wind
Closest-ever approach to the Sun reveals dynamic origins of solar wind
Spacecraft measurements reveal mechanism of solar wind heating
How solar wind gains energy while moving through space
Media Interviews
BBC Universe: The Sun (2021)
NOVA Universe Revealed: Age of Stars (2021)
Naked Scientists Podcast interview on Parker Solar Probe first results (2019)
BBC Radio London live interview on Parker Solar Probe launch (2018)
Imperial College Podcast interview on Solar Orbiter spacecraft (2016)
Interview for Capioca website (2015)
Science Exhibits and Festivals
Summer of Space interactive exhibit at the Science Museum (2019)
Parker Solar Probe interactive exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida (2018)
Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition on Rosetta and Comet 67P (2016)
Popular Science Talks
Orpington Astronomical Society (2021)
Croydon Astronomical Society (2019)
Public talk on Parker Solar Probe at QMUL (2018)
Nerd Nite London (2015)
Crayford Astronomical Society (2014)
Eastbay Astronomy Society (2013)