Astrophysical Magnetohydrodynamics, Plasma Physics and Cosmic Rays

A special issue of Galaxies (ISSN 2075-4434).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 10

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
Interests: astrophysical magnetism; turbulence; plasma physics; cosmic rays

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) Kohn Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
Interests: astrophysical magnetism; turbulence; computational methods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue brings together state-of-the-art research at the intersection of astrophysical magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), plasma physics, and cosmic ray (CR) dynamics. The central focus is on understanding how magnetized turbulence and plasma processes shape the structure, dynamics, and energetic phenomena across a wide range of astrophysical environments—from the interstellar and circumgalactic medium to galaxy clusters and beyond.

The scope of this issue is intentionally broad, aiming to reflect the diversity and interdisciplinarity of the field. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Theoretical, numerical, and observational studies of MHD turbulence and instabilities;
  • Magnetic reconnection in both collisional and collisionless plasmas;
  • Multi-phase plasma dynamics and the interplay between ionized and neutral components;
  • Plasma processes in star formation, cosmic structure formation, and galaxy evolution;
  • Transport, acceleration, and confinement of cosmic rays in turbulent media;
  • Development and application of novel diagnostics for magnetic fields and plasma conditions;
  • Data-driven approaches, including machine learning, to analyze plasma turbulence and cosmic-ray behavior.

We welcome contributions that explore new physical mechanisms, propose innovative methodologies, or offer synthetic views that unify different branches of MHD and plasma astrophysics.

This Special Issue serves as a timely supplement to the existing literature in several key ways. While foundational MHD theory has been long established, recent years have seen a surge in techniques that bridge high-resolution simulations with observational diagnostics of magnetic fields and turbulence. This issue highlights work that operationalizes theoretical models into tools that can be directly compared with data.

The issue also includes contributions that examine plasma behavior across scales—from microscopic dissipation and reconnection to galactic-scale flows—thereby expanding upon earlier studies that often considered these processes in isolation. The integration of machine learning, synthetic observations, and gradient-based analysis represents a new methodological frontier. These tools not only extend traditional analysis but also make it possible to derive magnetic and plasma parameters from complex observational datasets.

Dr. Yue Hu
Dr. Ka Wai Ho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • astrophysics
  • MHD turbulence
  • magnetism
  • plasama
  • cosmic ray
  • numerical simulations
  • multi-phase media
  • magnetic reconnection

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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