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Prof. Kunz uses analytical and numerical tools to investigate magnetic fields and multi-scale plasma dynamics in a wide variety of astrophysical space systems, including star-forming molecular clouds, protostellar cores, the intracluster medium in galaxy clusters, black-hole accretion flows, protoplanetary disks, and the solar wind. His research addresses the interplay between microscale plasma physics, mesoscale fluid dynamics, and macroscale evolution. His aims are to provide a greater understanding of how angular momentum is transported in differentially rotating astrophysical accretion disks, the nature of kinetic turbulence in collisionless plasma cascaded through small scales in phase space, and how solar wind is launched from the solar corona and accelerated in interplanetary space. Additionally, he explores how efficiently protostars inherit magnetic fields from their natal molecular clouds and how this process influences the initial mass distribution. His research commonly emphasizes the instability and turbulence within non-ideal systems, such as hot diffuse fully ionized weakly collisional environments and cold dense poorly ionized strongly collisional systems.
GRE scores are not accepted. Ph.D. is the primary degree; students are not required to hold an M.S.E. prior to admission.