Data visualization projects for PlasmaPy?

[William Bridgman]

Hello,

I'm investigating PlasmaPy as a way to expand and enhance some of the
data-driven visualizations I generate for the NASA Heliophysics
division,
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/Gallery/NASAsHeliophysicsGallery.html

particularly for my Wave & Plasma Zoo section under education products:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/Gallery/HeliophysicsEducationResources.html#section7-id

Many of these particle trajectories were generated in my custom
particle code which lets me place a variety of charged particles (some
with custom properties) in an electric, magnetic and/or gravitational
field (individual particle interactions are generally not enabled).
But I am bumping into some limitations for this simulator. (note that
several models in the Zoo had particle trajectories and field-line
info provided by the scientist from more complex models).

I'm curious about what types of (simplified) models/simulations might
be possible with PlasmaPy that would be reasonably physically correct
but not necessarily research-grade accuracy. Full-blown plasma
simulations often lack the clarity and/or high time cadence necessary
for smooth-playing public products.

Some of the things on my wish list:

* simplified magnetosphere models. Currently I use a hack of the
Luhmann-Friesen (1979) algorithm for generating field lines I can
sample at custom cadences and custom rotation & magnetic axis
configurations. But other configurations are of interest (Mars,
Venus, Mercury, exoplanets?)

* Various types of particle-wave interactions. I'm particularly
pleased that I got gyro-resonance working!

* Fermi acceleration? Reconnection?

* Stuff I haven't even thought of yet??

If anyone has done anything like this in plasmapy and is willing/able
to share techniques, I'd be delighted to correspond with them. I will
also be attending the helio-python workshop October 25-28. I might
also be interested in developing these techniques in plasmapy, but
while I have a Ph.D. in astrophysics, I am NOT a plasma physicist by
any stretch of the imagination! :^)

Thanks for your attention,
Tom
--
Dr. William T."Tom" Bridgman
Scientific Visualization Studio
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov