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Department of Physics
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Physics Faculty
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Dr. Zdzislaw Musielak
Professor of Physics
PhD, University of Gdansk, Poland
Research Interests:
Solar and stellar activity and winds,
extra-solar planetary systems and interaction
between planets and stars, orbital stability of
planets in stellar habitable zones, nonlinear
dynamical systems and routes to chaos, quantum
field theory and the physics of vacuum, and the
origin of dark matter and dark energy.
Research Groups:
Astrophysics
and
Chaos & Nonlinear Physics
Email:
zmusielak@uta.edu
Location: Room 328 CPB
Phone: 817-272-2513 |
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Research |
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Stellar Astrophysics:
My contributions are on the generation, propagation and dissipation of
non-radiative energy in atmospheres of late-type
stars and white dwarfs; this work has been done
in collaboration with R. Rosner of the
University of Chicago and P. Ulmschneider of the
University of Heidelberg. The results of these
studies have been used to determine the physical
processes responsible for heating of stellar
chromospheres and coronae, and for the
acceleration of hot winds from solar-type stars
and cool massive winds observed from evolved
giants and supergiants. I have worked with P.
Ulmschneider's group to construct
state-of-the-art, two-component, time-dependent,
chromospheric models for late-type stars. We
used these models to predict the level of
chromospheric activity for different stars and
the decrease of this activity with stellar age.
In collaboration with R. Rosner's group, we
constructed self-consistent and time-dependent
models for the solar wind and cool massive
winds. I worked with P. Ulmschneider on
atmospheric oscillations in magnetic and
non-magnetic regions of main-sequence stars. J.
Davis and J. Porter of NASA/MSFC, D. Winget of
the University of Texas at Austin, M. Noble
(UTA) and I searched for coronal X-ray emissions
from magnetic and non-magnetic cool white dwarfs
using ROSAT and Chandra.
Extra-Solar Planets:
I have investigated the zones of
stability of planetary orbits in the newly
discovered planetary systems including double
and triple stellar systems, and orbital
stability of Earth-like planets in stellar
habitable zones. This work was done in
collaboration with M. Cuntz and M. Noble (UTA).
Several years ago, I worked with M. Cuntz and S.
Saar (Center for Astrophysics), and we predicted
that the proximity of giant planets to their
host stars should influence the outermost
atmospheric layers of these stars and result in
enhanced stellar activity in selected planetary
systems. Our theoretical prediction has been
recently confirmed by observations and this has
triggered a number of citations of both the
observational and theoretical results in several
scientific magazines (e.g., Science,
Astrobiology Magazine and Sky & Telescope), the
popular press (USA TODAY, NEW YORK TIMES), and
on local and national TV (CNN) and radio
stations.
Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics:
My research activities in this field
have included studies of routes to chaos in
nonlinear dynamical systems with many degrees of
freedom, fractal statistics, and Julia and
Mandelbrot sets. Rapid changes in routes to
chaos have been discovered in dynamical systems
when the number of degrees of freedom was
increased. A novel fractal technique has been
used to investigate the onset of chaos in
several nonlinear systems. This work was done in
collaboration with D. Musielak (UTA). Some of my
results on generalized Julia and Mandelbrot sets
were selected to illustrate the cover pages of
FRACTALS. Working with scientists at NASA/MSFC,
I applied fractal techniques to analyze
complexity of the solar magnetic data and its
relevance to the prediction of the onset of
solar flares.
Mathematical Physics:
I have used Klein-Gordon and Dirac
equations to investigate the behavior of
hydrodynamic (HD) and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)
waves in highly inhomogeneous media. R. Moore of
NASA/MSFC and I developed a novel analytical
technique based on the Klein-Gordon equation.
This technique allows defining critical
frequencies that uniquely determine the
conditions for wave reflection. In my work done
in collaboration with R. Alicki of the
University of Gdansk in Poland, we used the
Dirac equation to investigate the linear
coupling between HD and MHD waves. G. Gary of
NASA/MSFC and I worked on ill-posed problems by
applying the Tichonov Regularization Method to
extrapolate the observed solar magnetic field.
In addition, S. Nerney (Ohio State University),
E. Schmahl (University of Maryland) and I
derived the most general analytical solutions to
the vector Burgers equation. My recent work done
with L. Swift and J. Fry (UTA) has been
concentrated on a new principle unifying the
Dirac, Klein-Gordon and Proca fields.
Cosmology:
There is strong observational evidence
that luminous matter makes only a very small
fraction of all matter in the Universe, which is
dominated by cold dark matter and dark energy -
this view has been confirmed by recent
measurements of the cosmic background radiation.
The realization that some unknown form of matter
and mysterious form of energy dominate the
structure and evolution of the entire Universe
is one of the most profound discoveries in
science. A large number of scientists
participate in observational and theoretical
efforts that aim to shed new light on the nature
and origin of dark matter and dark energy. I am
fascinated by these cosmological discoveries and
think that our group at UTA can also contribute
to our understanding of both dark matter and
dark energy. We are working on a fluid model of
dark matter that will account for its known
physical properties. We are also developing a
model for dark energy that is based on strongly
self-interacting (chaotic) quantum fields.
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NSF, NASA and NATO
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Research Awards:
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Outstanding Research
Award, UTA, 2002
Humboldt Prize, Germany, 1997
DFG Research Award, Germany, 1995
Research and Creative Achievement
Award, UAH, 1992
Smithsonian Research Award, SAO,
1987
NAS/NRC Award, NASA/MSFC, 1986
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Selected Recent Publications
``An Exploration of Activity Enhancement
Due to Interactions Between Stars and Nearby Giant
Planets'', Cuntz, M., Saar, S.H. and Musielak, Z.E.,
Astrophys. J. Letters, 553, L151-154 (2000)
``On the Generation of Flux Tube Waves in Stellar
Convection Zones. III. Longitudinal Tube Wave Energy
Fluxes for Late-Type Stars", Musielak, Z. E., Rosner, R.
and Ulmschneider, P., Astrophys. J., 541, 410-417 (2000)
``Time-Dependent Analytical Solutions for MHD Surface
Waves on Magnetic Interface Embedded in a Compressible
Medium", Musielak, Z. E., Huang, P. and Ulmschneider,
P., Astron. Astrophys., 362, 359-370 (2000)
``Excitation of Transverse Tube Waves in Stellar
Convection Zones. I. Analytical Approach", Musielak, Z.
E. and Ulmschneider, P., Astron. Astrophys., 370,
541-554 (2001)
``Magnetic Wave Energy Fluxes for Late-Type Stars I.
Longitudinal Tube Waves", Ulmschneider, P., Musielak, Z.
E. and Fawzy, D., Astron. Astrophys., 37, 662-674 (2001)
``Wave Heating and Range of Stellar Activity in
Late-Type Stars", Ulmschneider, P., Fawzy, D., Musielak,
Z.E. and Stepien, K., Astrophys. J. Letters, 559,
L167-170 (2001)
``Excitation of Transverse Tube Waves in Stellar
Convection Zones. II. Wave Energy Spectra and Fluxes",
Musielak, Z. E. and Ulmschneider, P., Astron. Astrophys.,
386, 606-614 (2002)
``Excitation of Transverse Tube Waves in Stellar
Convection Zones. III. Effects of Metallicity on Wave
Energy Spectra and Fluxes", Musielak, Z. E. and
Ulmschneider, P., Astron. Astrophys., 386, 615-621
(2002)
``Acoustic and Magnetic Wave Heating in Stars. I.
Theoretical Chromospheric Models and Emerging Radiative
Fluxes", Fawzy, D., Rammacher, W., Ulmschneider, P.,
Musielak, Z. E. and Stepien, K., Astron. Astrophys.,
386, 971-982 (2002)
``Acoustic and Magnetic Wave Heating in Stars. II. On
the Range of Chromospheric Activity", Fawzy, D.,
Ulmschneider, P., Stepien, K., Musielak, Z. E. and
Rammacher, W., Astron. Astrophys., 386, 983-993 (2002)
``Acoustic and Magnetic Wave Heating in Stars. III. The
Chromospheric Emission - Magnetic Filling Factor
Relation", Fawzy, D., St\c epie\'n, K., Ulmschneider,
P., Rammacher, W. and Musielak, Z. E., Astron. Astrophys.,
386, 994-1000 (2002)
``Orbital Stability of Terrestrial Planets inside
Habitable Zones of Extra-Solar Planetary Systems",
Noble, M., Musielak, Z.E. and Cuntz, M., Astrophys. J.,
572, 1024-1030 (2002)
``On the Generation of Flux Tube Waves in Stellar
Convection Zones. IV. Longitudinal Tube Wave Energy
Fluxes for Stars with Nonsolar Metallicities", Musielak,
Z. E., Rosner, R. and Ulmschneider, P., Astrophys. J.,
573, 418-424 (2002)
``Atmospheric Oscillations in Solar Magnetic Flux Tubes.
I. Excitation by Longitudinal Tube Waves and Random
Pulses", Musielak, Z.E. and Ulmschneider, P., Astron.
Astrophys., 400, 1057-1064 (2003)
``Atmospheric Oscillations in Solar Magnetic Flux Tubes.
II. Excitation by Transverse Tube Waves and Random
Pulses", Musielak, Z.E. and Ulmschneider, P., Astron.
Astrophys., 406, 725-734 (2003)
``Chandra Observation of Magnetic White Dwarfs and Their
Theoretical Implications", Musielak, Z.E., Noble, M.,
Porter, J.G. and Winget, D.E., Astrophys. J., 593,
481-485 (2003)
``Torsional Magnetic Tube Waves in Stellar Convection
Zones. I. Analysis of Wave Generation and Application to
the Sun", Noble, M., Musielak, Z. E. and Ulmschneider,
P., Astron. Astrophys., 409, 1085-1095 (2003)
``Mechanisms of Chromospheric and Coronal Heating"
(Invited Review), Ulmschneider, P., and Musielak, Z.E.,
ASP Conference Series, Vol. 286, Eds. A.A. Pevtsov and
H. Uitenbrock, 363-376 (2003)
``Heating of Stellar Chromospheres and Transition
Regions"(Invited Review), Musielak, Z.E., ASP Conference
Series, Eds. A. Benz and A. Dupree, IAU Symp. 219,
437-448 (2004)
``The Onset of Chaos in Nonlinear Dynamical Systems
Determined with a New Fractal Technique", Musielak, D.
E., Musielak, Z. E. and Kennamer, K, S., Fractals, 13,
1-13 (2005)
``Chaos and Routes to Chaos in Coupled Duffing
Oscillators with Multiple Degrees of Freedom", Musielak,
D. E., Musielak, Z. E. and Benner, J. S., Chaos,
Solitons \& Fractals, 24, 907-922 (2005)
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I teach undergraduate and
graduate courses in physics, astronomy and
mathematics, from undergraduate Astronomy to
graduate Quantum Field Theory and General
Relativity. I greatly enjoy teaching classes at
different levels and the interaction with
students. My philosophy of teaching is
straightforward: provide an atmosphere to get my
students interested in a subject and stimulate
their thinking by asking challenging questions
or leading an interactive discussion. I am very
enthusiastic about the subject of my teaching
and this, I believe, creates excitement and
motivation in the classroom.
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Teaching Awards:
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Campus Kahuna Award,
UTA, 2003
Best Instructor Award, UAH, 1997
Outstanding Assistant Professor, UAH,
1993
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Recent Talks and
Presentations
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