PTYS/LPL Faculty

Kuiper 431
Kristopher Klein
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., 2013, University of Iowa
Years with LPL: 2017
Solar and Heliospheric Research, Theoretical Astrophysics, Parker Solar Probe
Dr. Klein's research focuses on studying fundamental plasma phenomena that governs the dynamics of systems within our heliosphere as well as more distant astrophysical bodies. He has particular interest in identifying heating and energization mechanisms in turbulent plasmas, such as the Sun's extended atmosphere known as the solar wind, as well as evaluating the effects of the departure from local thermodynamic equilibrium on nearly collisionless plasmas which are ubiquitous in space environments.
These systems are studied with a combination of analytic theory and numerical simulation, including large-scale nonlinear turbulence codes such as AstroGK and HVM. These theoretical predictions are compared to in situ observations from spacecraft including NASA's Wind and MMS and the upcoming Parker Solar Probe mission. By comparing theory with local plasma measurements, we aim to answer a variety of questions about the behavior of plasma in our solar system.
View LPL Evening Lecture from September 12, 2018, Visiting Our Sun: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Solar Atmosphere using Parker Solar Probe
Current Grants
- Solar Wind Electrons Alphas and Protons (SWEAP): NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission Co-I
- Improved Characterization of Solar Wind Dissipation, Energization, and Stability, NASA Heliophysics Early Career Investigator Program
- Non-Maxwellian Distribution Functions in the Solar Wind: Dispersion Relations and Instabilities, NASA Heliophysics Supporting Research Program
- Investigation of Electron Parameter Statistical Distributions and Association with Structures using QTN Spectroscopy
- Vlasov-Maxwell Simulations to Resolve Electron Heating and Dissipation in Quasi-Perpendicular Shocks- NSF-DOE Basic Plasma Physics Partnership
- Hybrid Kinetic-GRMHD simulations of Black Hole Accretion with Data-Calibrated Electron Physics, NASA Astrophysics Theory Program
- Coupling of Electron and Ion Kinetic Physics via Collisions and Instabilities in the Expanding Solar Wind, NASA Heliophysics Supporting Research
- Parametric Instability in the Inner Heliosphere, NASA Heliophysics Supporting Research Grant
Current Spacecraft Involvement
Current Graduate Students
Current Postdocs
Complete publications list available from: NASA ADS Author search: Kristopher G. Klein (See also ORCID 0000-0001-6038-1923)
Recent refereed publications (NASA ADS): Years 2019 through 2020
Bourouaine, Sofiane, Perez, Jean C., Klein, Kristopher G., Chen, Christopher H. K., Martinović, Mihailo, Bale, Stuart D., Kasper, Justin C., & Raouafi, Nour E. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal. Turbulence Characteristics of Switchback and Nonswitchback Intervals Observed by Parker Solar Probe
Woolley, Thomas, Matteini, Lorenzo, Horbury, Timothy S., Bale, Stuart D., Woodham, Lloyd D., Laker, Ronan, Alterman, Benjamin L., Bonnell, John W., Case, Anthony W., Kasper, Justin C., Klein, Kristopher G., Martinović, Mihailo M., & Stevens, Michael 2020, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Proton core behaviour inside magnetic field switchbacks
Chen, Yu, Hu, Qiang, Zhao, Lingling, Kasper, Justin C., Bale, Stuart D., Korreck, Kelly E., Case, Anthony W., Stevens, Michael L., Bonnell, John W., Goetz, Keith, Harvey, Peter R., Klein, Kristopher G., Larson, Davin E., Livi, Roberto, MacDowall, Robert J., Malaspina, David M., Pulupa, Marc, & Whittlesey, Phyllis L. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal. Small-scale Magnetic Flux Ropes in the First Two Parker Solar Probe Encounters
Kawazura, Y., Schekochihin, A. A., Barnes, M., TenBarge, J. M., Tong, Y., Klein, K. G., & Dorland, W. 2020, Physical Review X. Ion versus Electron Heating in Compressively Driven Astrophysical Gyrokinetic Turbulence
Klein, Kristopher G., Howes, Gregory G., TenBarge, Jason M., & Valentini, Francesco 2020, Journal of Plasma Physics. Diagnosing collisionless energy transfer using field-particle correlations: Alfvén-ion cyclotron turbulence
Martinović, Mihailo M., Klein, Kristopher G., Gramze, Savannah R., Jain, Himanshu, Maksimović, Milan, Zaslavsky, Arnaud, Salem, Chadi, Zouganelis, Ioannis, & Simić, Zoran 2020, Journal of Geophysical Research (Space Physics). Solar Wind Electron Parameters Determination on Wind Spacecraft Using Quasi-Thermal Noise Spectroscopy
Verscharen, Daniel, Parashar, Tulasi N., Gary, S. Peter, & Klein, Kristopher G. 2020, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dependence of kinetic plasma waves on ion-to-electron mass ratio and light-to-Alfvén speed ratio
Verniero, J. L., Larson, D. E., Livi, R., Rahmati, A., McManus, M. D., Pyakurel, P. Sharma, Klein, K. G., Bowen, T. A., Bonnell, J. W., Alterman, B. L., Whittlesey, P. L., Malaspina, David M., Bale, S. D., Kasper, J. C., Case, A. W., Goetz, K., Harvey, P. R., Korreck, K. E., MacDowall, R. J., Pulupa, M., Stevens, M. L., & de Wit, T. Dudok 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Parker Solar Probe Observations of Proton Beams Simultaneous with Ion-scale Waves
Lavraud, B., Fargette, N., Réville, V., Szabo, A., Huang, J., Rouillard, A. P., Viall, N., Phan, T. D., Kasper, J. C., Bale, S. D., Berthomier, M., Bonnell, J. W., Case, A. W., Dudok de Wit, T., Eastwood, J. P., Génot, V., Goetz, K., Griton, L. S., Halekas, J. S., Harvey, P., Kieokaew, R., Klein, K. G., Korreck, K. E., Kouloumvakos, A., Larson, D. E., Lavarra, M., Livi, R., Louarn, P., MacDowall, R. J., Maksimovic, M., Malaspina, D., Nieves-Chinchilla, T., Pinto, R. F., Poirier, N., Pulupa, M., Raouafi, N. E., Stevens, M. L., Toledo-Redondo, S., & Whittlesey, P. L. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal. The Heliospheric Current Sheet and Plasma Sheet during Parker Solar Probe's First Orbit
Whittlesey, Phyllis L., Larson, Davin E., Kasper, Justin C., Halekas, Jasper, Abatcha, Mamuda, Abiad, Robert, Berthomier, M., Case, A. W., Chen, Jianxin, Curtis, David W., Dalton, Gregory, Klein, Kristopher G., Korreck, Kelly E., Livi, Roberto, Ludlam, Michael, Marckwordt, Mario, Rahmati, Ali, Robinson, Miles, Slagle, Amanda, Stevens, M. L., Tiu, Chris, & Verniero, J. L. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. The Solar Probe ANalyzers—Electrons on the Parker Solar Probe
Huang, Jia, Kasper, J. C., Vech, D., Klein, K. G., Stevens, M., Martinović, Mihailo M., Alterman, B. L., Ďurovcová, Tereza, Paulson, Kristoff, Maruca, Bennett A., Qudsi, Ramiz A., Case, A. W., Korreck, K. E., Jian, Lan K., Velli, Marco, Lavraud, B., Hegedus, A., Bert, C. M., Holmes, J., Bale, Stuart D., Larson, Davin E., Livi, Roberto, Whittlesey, P., Pulupa, Marc, MacDowall, Robert J., Malaspina, David M., Bonnell, John W., Harvey, Peter, Goetz, Keith, & Dudok de Wit, Thierry 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Proton Temperature Anisotropy Variations in Inner Heliosphere Estimated with the First Parker Solar Probe Observations
Bowen, Trevor A., Mallet, Alfred, Huang, Jia, Klein, Kristopher G., Malaspina, David M., Stevens, Michael, Bale, Stuart D., Bonnell, J. W., Case, Anthony W., Chandran, Benjamin D. G., Chaston, C. C., Chen, Christopher H. K., Dudok de Wit, Thierry, Goetz, Keith, Harvey, Peter R., Howes, Gregory G., Kasper, J. C., Korreck, Kelly E., Larson, Davin, Livi, Roberto, MacDowall, Robert J., McManus, Michael D., Pulupa, Marc, Verniero, J. L., & Whittlesey, Phyllis 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Ion-scale Electromagnetic Waves in the Inner Heliosphere
Chen, C. H. K., Bale, S. D., Bonnell, J. W., Borovikov, D., Bowen, T. A., Burgess, D., Case, A. W., Chandran, B. D. G., de Wit, T. Dudok, Goetz, K., Harvey, P. R., Kasper, J. C., Klein, K. G., Korreck, K. E., Larson, D., Livi, R., MacDowall, R. J., Malaspina, D. M., Mallet, A., McManus, M. D., Moncuquet, M., Pulupa, M., Stevens, M. L., & Whittlesey, P. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. The Evolution and Role of Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere
Vech, Daniel, Kasper, Justin C., Klein, Kristopher G., Huang, Jia, Stevens, Michael L., Chen, Christopher H. K., Case, Anthony W., Korreck, Kelly, Bale, Stuart D., Bowen, Trevor A., Whittlesey, Phyllis L., Livi, Roberto, Larson, Davin E., Malaspina, David, Pulupa, Marc, Bonnell, John, Harvey, Peter, Goetz, Keith, Dudok de Wit, Thierry, & MacDowall, Robert 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Kinetic-scale Spectral Features of Cross Helicity and Residual Energy in the Inner Heliosphere
Bandyopadhyay, Riddhi, Goldstein, M. L., Maruca, B. A., Matthaeus, W. H., Parashar, T. N., Ruffolo, D., Chhiber, R., Usmanov, A., Chasapis, A., Qudsi, R., Bale, Stuart D., Bonnell, J. W., Dudok de Wit, Thierry, Goetz, Keith, Harvey, Peter R., MacDowall, Robert J., Malaspina, David M., Pulupa, Marc, Kasper, J. C., Korreck, K. E., Case, A. W., Stevens, M., Whittlesey, P., Larson, D., Livi, R., Klein, K. G., Velli, M., & Raouafi, N. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Enhanced Energy Transfer Rate in Solar Wind Turbulence Observed near the Sun from Parker Solar Probe
Horbury, Timothy S., Woolley, Thomas, Laker, Ronan, Matteini, Lorenzo, Eastwood, Jonathan, Bale, Stuart D., Velli, Marco, Chandran, Benjamin D. G., Phan, Tai, Raouafi, Nour E., Goetz, Keith, Harvey, Peter R., Pulupa, Marc, Klein, K. G., Dudok de Wit, Thierry, Kasper, Justin C., Korreck, Kelly E., Case, A. W., Stevens, Michael L., Whittlesey, Phyllis, Larson, Davin, MacDowall, Robert J., Malaspina, David M., & Livi, Roberto 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Sharp Alfvénic Impulses in the Near-Sun Solar Wind
Case, A. W., Kasper, Justin C., Stevens, Michael L., Korreck, Kelly E., Paulson, Kristoff, Daigneau, Peter, Caldwell, Dave, Freeman, Mark, Henry, Thayne, Klingensmith, Brianna, Bookbinder, J. A., Robinson, Miles, Berg, Peter, Tiu, Chris, Wright, K. H., Reinhart, Matthew J., Curtis, David, Ludlam, Michael, Larson, Davin, Whittlesey, Phyllis, Livi, Roberto, Klein, Kristopher G., & Martinović, Mihailo M. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. The Solar Probe Cup on the Parker Solar Probe
Kim, T. K., Pogorelov, N. V., Arge, C. N., Henney, C. J., Jones-Mecholsky, S. I., Smith, W. P., Bale, S. D., Bonnell, J. W., Dudok de Wit, T., Goetz, K., Harvey, P. R., MacDowall, R. J., Malaspina, D. M., Pulupa, M., Kasper, J. C., Korreck, K. E., Stevens, M., Case, A. W., Whittlesey, P., Livi, R., Larson, D. E., Klein, K. G., & Zank, G. P. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Predicting the Solar Wind at the Parker Solar Probe Using an Empirically Driven MHD Model
Adhikari, L., Zank, G. P., Zhao, L. -L., Kasper, J. C., Korreck, K. E., Stevens, M., Case, A. W., Whittlesey, P., Larson, D., Livi, R., & Klein, K. G. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Turbulence Transport Modeling and First Orbit Parker Solar Probe (PSP) Observations
Tenerani, Anna, Velli, Marco, Matteini, Lorenzo, Réville, Victor, Shi, Chen, Bale, Stuart D., Kasper, Justin C., Bonnell, John W., Case, Anthony W., de Wit, Thierry Dudok, Goetz, Keith, Harvey, Peter R., Klein, Kristopher G., Korreck, Kelly, Larson, Davin, Livi, Roberto, MacDowall, Robert J., Malaspina, David M., Pulupa, Marc, Stevens, Michael, & Whittlesey, Phyllis 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Magnetic Field Kinks and Folds in the Solar Wind
Martinović, Mihailo M., Klein, Kristopher G., Kasper, Justin C., Case, Anthony W., Korreck, Kelly E., Larson, Davin, Livi, Roberto, Stevens, Michael, Whittlesey, Phyllis, Chandran, Benjamin D. G., Alterman, Ben L., Huang, Jia, Chen, Christopher H. K., Bale, Stuart D., Pulupa, Marc, Malaspina, David M., Bonnell, John W., Harvey, Peter R., Goetz, Keith, Dudok de Wit, Thierry, & MacDowall, Robert J. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. The Enhancement of Proton Stochastic Heating in the Near-Sun Solar Wind
Giacalone, J., Mitchell, D. G., Allen, R. C., Hill, M. E., McNutt, R. L., Szalay, J. R., Desai, M. I., Rouillard, A. P., Kouloumvakos, A., McComas, D. J., Christian, E. R., Schwadron, N. A., Wiedenbeck, M. E., Bale, S., Brown, L. E., Case, A., Chen, X., Cohen, C. M. S., Joyce, C., Kasper, J. C., Klein, K. G., Korreck, K., Larson, D. E., Livi, R., Leske, R. A., MacDowall, R. J., Matthaeus, W. H., Mewaldt, R. A., Nieves-Chinchilla, T., Pulupa, M., Roelof, E. C., Stevens, M. L., Szabo, A., & Whittlesey, P. L. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Solar Energetic Particles Produced by a Slow Coronal Mass Ejection at ∼0.25 au
Zhao, L. -L., Zank, G. P., Adhikari, L., Hu, Q., Kasper, J. C., Bale, S. D., Korreck, K. E., Case, A. W., Stevens, M., Bonnell, J. W., Dudok de Wit, T., Goetz, K., Harvey, P. R., MacDowall, R. J., Malaspina, D. M., Pulupa, M., Larson, D. E., Livi, R., Whittlesey, P., & Klein, K. G. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Identification of Magnetic Flux Ropes from Parker Solar Probe Observations during the First Encounter
Halekas, J. S., Whittlesey, P., Larson, D. E., McGinnis, D., Maksimovic, M., Berthomier, M., Kasper, J. C., Case, A. W., Korreck, K. E., Stevens, M. L., Klein, K. G., Bale, S. D., MacDowall, R. J., Pulupa, M. P., Malaspina, D. M., Goetz, K., & Harvey, P. R. 2020, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. Electrons in the Young Solar Wind: First Results from the Parker Solar Probe
Kasper, J. C., Bale, S. D., Belcher, J. W., Berthomier, M., Case, A. W., Chandran, B. D. G., Curtis, D. W., Gallagher, D., Gary, S. P., Golub, L., Halekas, J. S., Ho, G. C., Horbury, T. S., Hu, Q., Huang, J., Klein, K. G., Korreck, K. E., Larson, D. E., Livi, R., Maruca, B., Lavraud, B., Louarn, P., Maksimovic, M., Martinovic, M., McGinnis, D., Pogorelov, N. V., Richardson, J. D., Skoug, R. M., Steinberg, J. T., Stevens, M. L., Szabo, A., Velli, M., Whittlesey, P. L., Wright, K. H., Zank, G. P., MacDowall, R. J., McComas, D. J., McNutt, R. L., Pulupa, M., Raouafi, N. E., & Schwadron, N. A. 2019, Nature. Alfvénic velocity spikes and rotational flows in the near-Sun solar wind
Verscharen, Daniel, Klein, Kristopher G., & Maruca, Bennett A. 2019, Living Reviews in Solar Physics. The multi-scale nature of the solar wind
Klein, Kristopher G., Martinović, Mihailo, Stansby, David, & Horbury, Timothy S. 2019, The Astrophysical Journal. Linear Stability in the Inner Heliosphere: Helios Re-evaluated
Li, Tak Chu, Howes, Gregory G., Klein, Kristopher G., Liu, Yi-Hsin, & Tenbarge, Jason M. 2019, Journal of Plasma Physics. Collisionless energy transfer in kinetic turbulence: field-particle correlations in Fourier space
Martinović, Mihailo M., Klein, Kristopher G., & Bourouaine, Sofiane 2019, The Astrophysical Journal. Radial Evolution of Stochastic Heating in Low-β Solar Wind
Mallet, Alfred, Klein, Kristopher G., Chandran, Benjamin D. G., Grošelj, Daniel, Hoppock, Ian W., Bowen, Trevor A., Salem, Chadi S., & Bale, Stuart D. 2019, Journal of Plasma Physics. Interplay between intermittency and dissipation in collisionless plasma turbulence
Kasper, Justin C. & Klein, Kristopher G. 2019, The Astrophysical Journal. Strong Preferential Ion Heating is Limited to within the Solar Alfvén Surface
Chen, C. H. K., Klein, K. G., & Howes, G. G. 2019, Nature Communications. Evidence for electron Landau damping in space plasma turbulence
van der Holst, B., Manchester, W. B., Klein, K. G., & Kasper, J. C. 2019, The Astrophysical Journal. Predictions for the First Parker Solar Probe Encounter
- First Results from Spacecraft Exploring Sun - December 5, 2019
- NASA Spacecraft Studying Solar Winds Completes Its 3rd Lap Around Sun - December 2, 2019
- Close Encounter with the Sun - November 18, 2019
- LPL Scientists Gear Up to 'Touch the Sun' - August 8, 2018
- Spacecraft measurements reveal mechanism of solar wind heating - Feburary 14, 2019
- Solving the sun's super-heating mystery with Parker Solar Probe - June 4, 2019
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Semester | Course | Day/Time | Location | Resources |
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Fall 2021 | PTYS/ASTR 170A1-001 | TTH 11:00a.m.-12:15p.m. | Kuiper 308 | |
Spring 2020 | PTYS/ASTR 170A1-001 | MW 12:30-1:45p.m. | Flandrau 219B |
Syllabus Course Page |
Semester | Course | Day/Time | Location | Resources |
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Fall 2020 | PTYS/ASTR/ATMO/PHYS 537-001 | MWF 1:00-1:50p.m. | Kuiper 308 |
Syllabus Course Page |
Fall 2019 | PTYS/ASTR 170A1-001 | TTH 9:30-10:45a.m. | Kuiper 308 |
Syllabus Course Page |