Jan Egedal

Jan Egedal is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, affiliated with the College of Letters & Science. His research focuses on plasma physics, magnetic reconnection, and space weather phenomena.

• Key research areas: Plasma Physics, Magnetic Reconnection, Space Weather, Astrophysical Plasmas, Particle Acceleration, Solar Wind Dynamics

Recent work involves analyzing magnetic reconnection in laboratory and space plasmas using the Terrestrial Reconnection Experiment (TREX) and NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Studies emphasize electron/ion dynamics, pressure anisotropy, and energy conversion mechanisms. Current projects include the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) fusion experiment and investigations into drift-cyclotron instabilities.

Publications highlight advancements in understanding reconnection diffusion regions, magnetic pumping for particle acceleration, and applications to space weather prediction. The Seven Sisters mission concept aims to improve solar wind measurements for space weather forecasting.

Jan Egedal's research is conducted at the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory, where experiments and kinetic simulations (e.g., Cylindrical VPIC) explore fundamental plasma processes in magnetotail, bow shock, and fusion-relevant environments.