Maha Ashour-Abdalla

Theoretical Astrophysics
& Space Plasmas

Office: 4-718 PAB
Phone: (310) 825-8881
email

Plasma Science and Technology Institute

Educational Background:

• B.Sc., Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt, 1964
• D.I.C., Imperial College, London, England, 1968
• Ph.D., Imperial College, London, England, 1971

Areas of Specialization

• Space Plasma Physics, Magnetospheric Physics, Numerical Simulations, Wave-Particle Interactions.

Research Interest:

Prof. Ashour-Abdalla has headed the Space Plasma Simulation Group since its creation in 1980. Prof. Ashour-Abdalla's research spans a range of theoretical problems in the field of space plasma physics. Her recent studies have employed both analytic theory and simulation to study diverse topics such as the acceleration of plasmas in the auroral zone, the physics of broadband electrostatic noise, and the physics of the polar cap. She conceived and developed the approach of using large-scale kinetic (LSK) calculations for studying the magnetotail.

Prof. Ashour-Abdalla also pioneered mission oriented theory in conjunction with the NASA International Solar Terrestrial Physics program, and is Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on a number of NASA missions, including the Polar and Geotail spacecraft. Prof. Ashour-Abdalla is Director of UCLA's Center for Digital Innovation which spearheads the development of multimedia educational products and develops distance learning approaches for university classes and high-school science classes.

1. Ashour-Abdalla,M., M. El-Alaoui, F. V. Coroniti, R. J. Walker, and V. Peroomian, A newconvection state at substorm onset: Results from an MHD study, Geophys.Res. Lett., 29(20), 10.1029/2002GL015787, 2002.
2. Ashour-Abdalla,M., M. El-Alaoui, V. Peroomian, R. J. Walker, J. Raeder, L. A. Frank,and W. R. Paterson, The origin of the near-Earth plasma populationduring a substorm on November 24, 1996, J. Geophys. Res., 105,2589-2605, 2000.
3. Ashour-Abdalla,M., M. El-Alaoui, V. Peroomian, R. J. Walker, L. M. Zelenyi, L. A.Frank and W. R. Paterson, Localized reconnection and substorm onset onDecember 22, 1996, Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 3545-3548, 1999.
4. Ashour-Abdalla,M., M. El-Alaoui, V. Peroomian, R. J. Walker, J. Raeder, L. A. Frank,and W. R. Paterson, Source distributions of substorm ions observed inthe near-Earth magnetotail, Geophys. Res. Lett. 26(7), p. 955-958, 1999.
5. Ashour-Abdalla,M., M. El-Alaoui, V. Peroomian, J. Raeder, R. J. Walker, R. L. Richard,L. M. Zelenyi, L. A. Frank, W. R. Paterson, J. M. Bosqued, R. P.Lepping, K. Ogilvie, S. Kokubun, and T. Yamamoto, Ion sources andacceleration mechanisms inferred from local distribution functions,Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 955, 1997.
6. Ashour-Abdalla,M., L. M. Zelenyi, V. Peroomian, R. L. Richard, and J. M. Bosqued, Themosaic structure of plasma bulk flows in the Earth's magnetotail, J.Geophys. Res., 100, 19,191, 1995.
7. Ashour-Abdalla,M., J. Berchem, J. Buchner, and L. M. Zelenyi, Shaping of themagnetotail from the mantle: Global and local structuring, J. Geophys.Res., 98, 5651, 1993.
8. Ashour-Abdalla,M. and D. Schriver, A theoretical interpretation of upstreamingelectrons and elevated conics on auroral field lines, Geophys. Res.Lett., 16, 21-24, 1989.
9. Ashour-Abdalla,M. and H. Okuda, Theory and simulations of broadband electrostaticnoise in the geomagnetic tail, J. Geophys. Res., 91, 6833-6844, 1986.
10. Ashour-Abdalla,M. and H. Okuda, Turbulent heating of heavy ions on auroral fieldlines, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 2235-2250, 1984.
11. Ashour-Abdalla,M., and C. F. Kennel, Nonconvective and convective electron cyclotronharmonic instabilities, J. Geophys. Res., 83, 1531, 1978.