Peking University, March 18, 2025: In a fourth installment in the “Beauty of Academic Disciplines” lecture series, Dr. Zhou Xuzhi, Associate Professor from the School of Earth and Space Sciences(SESS), gave a lecture at PKU Library on Mar. 7, touching on the topic of magnetic structures and plasma in the solar system. 

Students and faculty members listening to Zhou’s lecture

Zhou explained that space physics, different from engineering applications such as launching rockets, studies everything above the Earth’s atmosphere, where the ionosphere and magnetosphere reside. Drawing on his own experience in Dallas, USA last year, where his team observed a total solar eclipse and uncovered the complex magnetic structure of the solar corona, he illustrated relative concepts of magnetic field and plasma in detail. 

Zhou Xuzhi, Associate Professor of SESS

He pointed out telescopic instruments like the coronagraph have made it possible to minutely study magnetic field of solar corona, properties of plasma such as density and temperature, flow of solar wind, and sungrazing comets, significantly contributing to the understanding of the interaction between solar wind and celestial bodies.

Moreover, Zhou also introduced conclusions on observations on other planets, saying they not only help with understanding the interplay between solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field, revealing the impact outer space phenomena can have on humans on Earth, but can also show the uniqueness of magnetic field of planets in the solar system. 

Students raising questions

Dr. Zhou Xuzhi is a research fellow and associate professor at the School of Earth and Space Sciences. He has won numerous awards for his research and teaching, such as the Young Researcher Award from Association of Asia-Pacific Physical Societies and Beijing Distinguished Young Teacher Award in Higher Education Institutions.

Written by: Wu You
Edited by: Rachel Lee, Chen Shizhuo
Source: PKU News (Chinese)