Prof Alan Hood

Prof Alan Hood

Emeritus Professor

Email
awh@st-andrews.ac.uk
Office
311 MI
Location
Mathematical Institute

 

Research areas

My main research interests are in solar physics and the modelling of observations within the framework of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). In particular, my interests lie in the magnetic and thermal equilibrium structures and the stability of magnetic fields to ideal and resistive MHD instabilities.The stability of magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere differs from the laboratory situation because of steep density gradients that effectively anchor the magnetic footpoints. The inclusion of this line tying effect showed that sufficient magnetic energy could be stored in the magnetic field to explain the energy release in a solar flare. The numerical techniques involve solving coupled linear partial differential equation (PDE). Localised modes have been investigated using a Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin(WKB) approach. This stability work has resulted in a collaborative CASE award with the Culham Laboratory, Abingdon, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).Line tying strongly stabilises resistive unstabilities, for example the tearing mode, by coupling together the usual Fourier modes. This work is currently of great interest in explaining the energy release mechanism in solar flares. Coupling of magnetic effects to thermal effects, including thermal conduction and radiation, is being investigated to see how the basic instabilities are modified.


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Selected publications

  • Open access
    Cargill, P. J., Hood, A. W. & Johnson, D., 1 Oct 2025, In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 542, 4, p. 3385-3394 10 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Cozzo, G., Reid, J., Pagano, P., Reale, F., Testa, P., Hood, A. W., Argiroffi, C., Petralia, A., Alaimo, E., D'Anca, F., Sciortino, L., Todaro, M., Lo Cicero, U., Barbera, M., de Pontieu, B. & Martínez-Sykora, J., 16 Sept 2024, In: Astronomy & Astrophysics. 689, 13 p., A184.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Doorsselaere, T. V., Prasad, S. K., Pant, V., Banerjee, D. & Hood, A., 18 Jan 2024, arXiv, 9 p.

    Research output: Working paper › Preprint

  • Open access
    Van Doorsselaere, T., Krishna Prasad, S., Pant, V., Banerjee, D. & Hood, A., 11 Mar 2024, In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. 683, 9 p., A109.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Johnson, D., Hood, A. W., Cargill, P., Reid, J. & Johnston, C. D., 1 Aug 2024, In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 532, 4, p. 4261-4271 11 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Cozzo, G., Reid, J., Pagano, P., Reale, F. & Hood, A. W., 1 Oct 2023, In: Astronomy & Astrophysics. 678, 14 p., A40.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Browning, P., Gordovskyy, M. & Hood, A., 16 Aug 2023, arXiv.

    Research output: Working paper › Preprint

  • Browning, P. K., Gordovskyy, M. & Hood, A. W., 15 Dec 2023, Helicities in geophysics, astrophysics, and beyond. Kuzanyan, K., Yokoi, N., Georgoulis, M. K. & Stepanov, R. (eds.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, p. 189-202 14 p. (Geophysical monograph series; no. 283).

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

  • Open access
    Reid, J., Threlfall, J. & Hood, A. W., 1 Jan 2023, In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 518, 1, p. 1584-1600 17 p., stac3188.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • Open access
    Reid, J., Threlfall, J. & Hood, A. W., 28 Sept 2023, The Era of Multi-Messenger Solar Physics. Cauzzi, G. & Tritschler, A. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, Vol. 18, S372. p. 116-118 3 p. (Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union).

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution