Kristopher G. Klein
Kristopher G. Klein
Associate Professor
University of Arizona
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
I am a space plasma physicist studying how energy is transferred, redistributed, and dissipated in weakly collisional plasmas. My research focuses on the solar wind and other space and astrophysical environments.
I combine analytical theory, numerical modeling, and spacecraft observations to investigate plasma turbulence, kinetic instabilities, and wave–particle interactions.
I am Deputy Principal Investigator of NASA’s HelioSwarm mission and Deputy Principal Investigator for the SWEAP investigation on Parker Solar Probe.
Research
My research addresses three interconnected problems:
- Turbulence and plasma heating: How does turbulent energy cascade through scales and ultimately heat particles?
- Kinetic plasma physics: How do nonthermal particle distributions drive instabilities and exchange energy with plasma waves?
- Multi-spacecraft measurements: How can simultaneous observations reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of turbulent plasmas?
Publications and Software
My publications and open-source research tools are available here: