Prof. Drake works on theoretical description of the dynamics of high-temperature plasma with applications to fusion and space and astrophysical systems. His focus in recent years has been on magnetic reconnection and associated particle acceleration.
Research Projects
The magnetic structure of the outer heliosphere and the production of anomalous cosmic rays
The mechanisms for breaking magnetic field lines and the scaling of collisionless reconnection
Particle acceleration in impulsive flares
Notable Publications
J. F. Drake, M. Opher, M. Swisdak and J. N. Chamoun, A reconnection mechanism for the generation of anomalous cosmic rays, ApJ 709, 963, 2010.
J. F. Drake, H. Che, M. A. Shay and M. Swisdak, Electron acceleration from contracting magnetic islands during reconnection, Nature 443, 553, 2006.
P. Cassak, M. A. Shay and J. F. Drake, A catastrophe model for the onset of fast magnetic reconnection, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 235002, 2005 (A Physical Review Focus article was written on this paper).
M. A. Shay, J. F. Drake, B. N. Rogers and R. E. Denton, The scaling of collisionless magnetic reconnection for large systems, Geophys. Res. Lett. 26, 2163 (1999).
M. E. Mandt, R. E. Denton and J. F. Drake, Transition to Whistler Mediated Magnetic Reconnection, Geophys. Res. Lett. 21, 73 (1994).