The Centre for Plasma Astrophysics - K.U.Leuven

Stefaan Poedts

SWIFF kick-off, Feb. 1-4, 2011, Leuven, Belgium

The K.U.Leuven

• The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven was founded in 1425 and embraces the values of independent inquiry and pursues a policy of non-discrimination.

• K.U.Leuven offers an extensive range of programmes, also in English (at MSc and PhD levels) and conducts research in all academic disciplines.

• As a member of many high-profile international networks and associations such as Leru and Coimbra, K.U.Leuven affirms the important role of international co-operation in its strategy and tradition.

• K.U.Leuven has a long tradition of welcoming international students, researchers and guest professors from all around the world.

Centre for Plasma Astrophysics

The Centre for Plasma Astro-physics (CPA) was founded on 1/1/1992 and is part of the Dept. of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences of the `Group Science & Technology' of the K.U.Leuven http://wis.kuleuven.be/cpa

The CPA mission comprises the study of waves, instabilities, flows, shocks, heating, and acceleration of magnetic plasmas in the Sun (atmosphere, wind, ...), other stars, galactic disks, (extra-)galactic jets, accretion disks, magnetospheres, and thermonuclear fusion machines

CPA people

• 4 Professors:

• 14 postoctoral researchers and fellows

• 12 PhD students (incl. 3 external)

See: http://wis.kuleuven.be/cpa

CPA research topics

• Coronal seismology

• Space weather

• Relativistic plasma dynamics

CPA projects & int. collaborations

www.soteria-space.eu

and others….

SOTERIA EC network of FP7

www.soteria-space.eu• Funded by the EC in FP7 – Space

Science

• Coordinator: G. Lapenta

• Data (ground & space) & simulation on:1. Photosphere

2. Chromosphere/Corona

3. Heliosphere/Terrestrial effects

4. Irradiance

• Focus on data dissemination

• Looking forward to collaborations outside the consortium

INTEL ExaScience Lab in Leuven

• June 8, 2010 New Lab to Develop Solar Flare Prediction as Driver for Intel’s Future Exascale Supercomputers• Intel, Imec and Five Flemish Universities Open Flanders ExaScience Lab

exascience.com

Strong links with:

SOLAIRE (EU FP6 RTN)

SOLAIRE is a Research Training Network financed by the European Commission.

It consists of TWELVE European University teams and Research Institutes and a private R&TD company.

Trained 14 ERs (226 mm total) and

11 ESRs (334 mm total)!

ESA SEPEM Project

ESA Solar Energetic Particle Environ-ment Modelling (SEPEM) Project

New EU FP7 projects (2011-2013)

• SWIFF, FP7 CP coordinated by G. Lapenta (CPA)Space Weather Integrated Forecasting FrameworkKick-off: Feb. 1-4, 2011, Leuven

• SPACECAST, FP7 CP coord. by R. Horne (Cambridge) Protecting space assets from high energy particles by developing European dynamic modelling and forecastingKick-off: Mar. 29-30, 2011, Cambridge

• SOLSPANET, FP7 IRSES coord. by S. Poedts (CPA)Solar and Space Weather Network of ExcellenceKick-off: TBD (DoW and CA almost signed), 2011, Leuven