Michal Golan

Space Plasma Physicist · Collisionless Shocks · Heliophysics

I am a PhD researcher in physics at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, specializing in space plasma physics and collisionless shock dynamics.

My research focuses on the structure and evolution of collisionless shocks, with particular emphasis on magnetic-field organization, plasma dynamics, and energy redistribution across planetary and interplanetary shocks.

I combine in-situ spacecraft observations with plasma theory and numerical approaches to investigate how apparently turbulent shock environments develop coherent and organized structures.

I am supervised by Prof. Michael Gedalin at the Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Research

Collisionless shocks are fundamental plasma structures found throughout space and astrophysical environments. Unlike ordinary shocks in gases, particle collisions are too infrequent to control their structure. Instead, electromagnetic fields, plasma waves, and collective particle processes mediate the conversion of directed flow energy into heat, magnetic energy, and energetic particles.

My research investigates the internal organization of collisionless shocks and the plasma structures that develop across their transition regions and downstream environments.

A central focus of my current work is the magnetic structure of quasi-parallel shocks. These shocks are often described as highly turbulent and irregular, yet spacecraft observations can reveal surprisingly coherent magnetic-field rotations within the shock transition.

I use observations from multiple spacecraft missions and heliospheric environments to determine how universal these structures are, how their spatial and temporal scales compare between shocks, and what they reveal about the physics governing collisionless shock formation and relaxation.

Collisionless shocks are fundamental plasma structures found throughout the universe, from planetary environments to supernova remnants and galaxy clusters. However, Earth’s bow shock is one of the very few locations where such shocks can be measured directly by spacecraft, making it a unique natural laboratory for shock physics.

Our research focuses on resolving the internal structure of collisionless shocks using high-resolution in-situ plasma and magnetic-field measurements from multiple spacecraft missions across the heliosphere. These include NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, Parker Solar Probe (PSP), WIND, THEMIS, STEREO, Solar Orbiter, and complementary OMNI data products.

By combining multi-spacecraft observations with conservation relations and shock-analysis techniques, we investigate how magnetic, thermal, and dynamic plasma properties evolve across shock transitions. The goal is to constrain the physical processes governing shock formation, magnetic-field organization, particle heating, and downstream relaxation.

Selected Talks & Conferences

About

I am a physicist based at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, working in space plasma physics, astrophysics, and heliophysics. Alongside research, I teach undergraduate and graduate physics courses.

Beyond physics, I have a strong interest in aviation and pilot training.

Contact

Email: golanmic@post.bgu.ac.il
GitHub: michalgolanorbiter