Richard D. Sydora

Theoretical Plasma 

Office: P538B
Phone: (780) 492-3624
FAX: (780) 492-0714
  rsydora@phys.ualberta.ca

 

 Professor of Physics
__University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada__
Department of Physics, 
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2J1

 
 
Current Research 
  • Theoretical and Computational methods for the study of turbulence in plasmas and fluids; dynamics of N-body systems
  • Techniques and applications of parallel computing methods in physics
  • Controlled thermonuclear fusion plasma physics; mainly in the area of heat and particle diffusion in magnetically confined systems
  • Space and astrophysical plasma physics; mainly in the areas of magnetic field reconnection, Alfven wave turbulence, charged particle acceleration and particle and energy transport processes in space plasmas

 
Educational Background
Ph.D. Physics, University of Texas, Austin, 1985 
M. S.  Space Physics, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 1981 
B. Sc. Applied Mathematics (Honors), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, 1979

 
Professional Experience
2
2001-present, Professor, Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton 
1998-2001, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton
1995-1997, Research Physicist and Adjunct Professor, Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles 
1990-1995, Associate Research Physicist and Lecturer, Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles 
1985-1990, Assistant Research Physicist, Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles 
1985, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics, University of Texas, Austin.
Professional Activities and Organizations
  • Organizer of 17th Conference on Numerical Simulation of Plasma, Banff, Alberta,  May, 22-24, 2000 
  • Co-Organizer of Conference on Numerical Simulation of Plasma Turbulence, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, April, 1985 
  • Executive Committee of International Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, 1996-1997 
  • Lecturer for Spring College on Plasma Physics, International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy (1987 and 1989) 
  • Solar Terrestrial Relations Advisory Council (STRAC), Canadian Space Agency,  1998-present
  • Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) Steering Committee, National Science Foundation(USA),   1998-present
Institute Membership
Theoretical Physics Institute, Department of Physics, University of Alberta 
Institute for Geophysics, Meteorology and Space Physics, University of Alberta 
Institute for Plasma and Fusion Research, University of California, Los Angeles
Professional Societies
American Physical Society (APS)
Sigma Xi
Selected Awards and Honors 
  • Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, 1996
  • Invited Foreign Researcher, National Institute for Fusion Science, Nagoya, Japan (1991-1992)
  • Ardent National Competition on use of Computer Workstations in Scientific Visualization First Prize, 1989 (with L. Xu, F. Ou, T. Ehrabian)
  • Visiting Research Scientist, Institute for Plasma Physics, Nagoya, Japan, 1988
Selected Publications
 1. Sydora, R.D., V.K. Decyk, and J.M. Dawson, "Fluctuation-Induced Heat Transport Results from a Large Global 3D Toroidal Particle Simulation Model", Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, 38, 281 (1996).

2. Sydora, R.D., "Toroidal Gyrokinetic Particle Simulations of Core Fluctuations and Transport", Physica Scripta, 52, 474 (1995).

3. Naitou, H., K. Tsuda, W.W. Lee, and R.D. Sydora, "Gyrokinetic Simulation of Internal Kink Modes", Physics of Plasmas, 2, 4257 (1995).

4. Ma, S., R.D. Sydora, and J.M. Dawson, "Binary Collision Model in Gyrokinetic Simulation Plasmas", Computer Physics Communications, 77, 190 (1993).

5. Dawson, J.M., V.K. Decyk, R.D. Sydora, and P.C. Liewer, "High-Performance Computing and Plasma Physics", Physics Today, 46, 64 (1993).

6. Kazeminezhad, F., J.M. Dawson, J.N. Leboeuf, R.D. Sydora, and D. Holland, "A Vlasov Particle Ion Zero Mass Electron Model for Plasma Simulations", J. Comp. Phys., 102, 
 277 (1992).

7. Dawson, J.M., R.D. Sydora, V.K. Decyk, P.C. Liewer, and R.D. Ferraro, "Physics Modeling of Tokamak Transport; A Grand Challenge for Controlled Fusion", Internation Jour. of Supercomputer Appl., 5, 13 (1991).

8. Sydora, R.D., "Three-dimensional Gyrokinetic Particle Simulation of Low-Frequency Drift Instabilities", Phys. Fluids, B 2, 1455 (1990).

9. Sydora, R.D., T.S. Hahm, W.W. Lee and J.M. Dawson, "Dynamics and Fluctuation Spectrum of Ion temperature Gradient Drift Instabilities", Phys. Rev. Lett., 64, p. 2015-2018, 1990.

10. Richard, R.L., R.D. Sydora and M. Ashour-Abdalla, "Magnetic Reconnection Driven by Current Repulsion", Phys. Fluids, B 2, p. 488-494, 1990.
 
  Background: by Jan Curtis

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Last updated: July 23, 1998
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