Major Scientific Challenges and Opportunities in Understanding Magnetic Reconnection and Related Explosive Phenomena in Solar and Heliospheric Plasmas

TL;DR

This paper discusses the scientific challenges and opportunities in understanding magnetic reconnection, a key process behind explosive phenomena in solar and heliospheric plasmas, emphasizing the need for collaborative research and investments.

Contribution

It highlights the grand scientific challenges in magnetic reconnection research and advocates for enhanced collaborations and funding to advance understanding.

Findings

New research capabilities enable progress in theory, observations, and experiments.

Addressing challenges will improve understanding of space weather events.

Collaborative efforts are essential for scientific breakthroughs.

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection underlies many explosive phenomena in the heliosphere and in laboratory plasmas. The new research capabilities in theory/simulations, observations, and laboratory experiments provide the opportunity to solve the grand scientific challenges summarized in this whitepaper. Success will require enhanced and sustained investments from relevant funding agencies, increased interagency/international partnerships, and close collaborations of the solar, heliospheric, and laboratory plasma communities. These investments will deliver transformative progress in understanding magnetic reconnection and related explosive phenomena including space weather events.