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).