Research Expertise and Interest

astrophysics, compact astrophysical objects, Neutron Stars, ionized plasmas, cosmic rays, magnetized accretion disks, black holes pulsars, magnetic fields, planets

Research Description

Jonathan Arons is an emeritus professor of theoretical astrophysics and plasma physics in the Astronomy Department and the Physics Department at UC Berkeley.  He is also a member of the Theoretical Astrophysics Center.

Fascinated by the physics of compact astrophysical objects, especially neutron stars, he is intrigued by the bizarre behavior of fully ionized plasmas, which mix long range electromagnetic forces with kinetic particle behavior.  He merges these interests by studying the magnetospheres of neutron stars and their interactions with their environs, and their role in the acceleration of the highest energy cosmic rays. He also has interests in the magnetized accretion disks around black holes, whose physics has similarities to that of the outflows from rotation powered pulsars. In a new adventure, he is studying the interactions between stellar magnetic fields and the recently discovered planets around nearby solar type stars.