Blog | James R. Beattie

Joining IAS as a NASA Hubble Fellow

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This September, I’m joining the Institute for Advanced Study as a NASA Hubble Fellow and Member in the School of Natural Sciences.

My research explores how turbulence and magnetic fields evolve in astrophysical plasmas. At IAS, I will develop analytical and numerical models of how young supernova remnants drive and maintain turbulence in our Galaxy.

I look forward to new collaborations and conversations. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss turbulence, dynamos, or plasma astrophysics.

Residual energy in magnetized turbulence, published in A&A

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our paper, Residual energy in weakly compressible turbulence with a mean guide field, is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 713, A7. I worked with lead author Raphael Skalidis, Aris Tritsis, and Philip F. Hopkins.

Using simulations of weakly compressible turbulence with a strong mean magnetic field, we compare driving through velocity fluctuations with driving through magnetic fluctuations. The two methods produce different energy balances even at comparable sonic and Alfvénic Mach numbers.

Magnetic driving produces nearly equal kinetic and magnetic energies in the inertial range, while velocity driving leaves an excess of kinetic energy. Section 3 of the paper presents the numerical comparison, showing why the driving mechanism matters when interpreting magnetized turbulence.

Read the published paper or read the open preprint.

SCEECS lecture notes are available

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My notes from the 2026 SCEECS summer school, Fluid Theory, Turbulence, and Dynamos in Magnetized Plasmas, are now available on the website.

The notes cover fluid and magnetohydrodynamic theory, waves and instabilities, hydrodynamic and magnetized turbulence, and small- and large-scale dynamos, with derivations and mathematical details throughout.

Read the notes or download the PDF.

My single-author ApJL paper on supernova-driven turbulence

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My single-author paper, Supernovae Drive Large-scale, Incompressible Turbulence through Small-scale Instabilities, is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 1004, L9.

I study how individual supernova remnants generate incompressible turbulence. Instabilities wrinkle the interface between hot and warm gas, bringing pressure and density gradients out of alignment and generating vorticity. Vortex stretching then allows turbulent motions to escape the shell into the surrounding gas.

The result connects the structure of these thin interfaces to the wider galactic turbulence cascade: small-scale instabilities can supply turbulent motions that an inverse cascade carries to larger scales. Sections III and IV of the paper develop and test this mechanism.

Read the published paper, read the open preprint, or explore the science highlight.

Compressible Navier–Stokes flow in Schrödinger-type variables

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our paper, Compressible Navier–Stokes Flow in Schrödinger-Type Variables, is available on arXiv.

With Max Sokolova, Khush Negandhi, and Bart Ripperda, I derive an exact reformulation of isothermal compressible Navier–Stokes flow using Cole–Hopf-type transformations. The construction separates compressive, vortical, and density-carrying parts of the flow in two and three dimensions.

We test the transformed equations against a direct Kelvin–Helmholtz shear-layer simulation. The comparison is described in Section IV of the paper.

Update, September 2026: The paper is accepted in Physical Review Research, as noted in the current arXiv record.

Read the preprint, download the PDF, or view the science highlight.

Matt Sampson’s cosmic-ray study is published

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our study, Cosmic-Ray and Plasma Coupling for Isothermal Supersonic Turbulence in the Magnetized Interstellar Medium, led by Matt Sampson, is now published in The Astrophysical Journal, volume 1001, article 99 (April 2026).

The paper explores how cosmic rays and turbulent, magnetized plasma interact as the cosmic-ray diffusion and streaming properties vary. Congratulations, Matt, and thank you to all our collaborators!

Read the published paper or read the preprint.

Matt Sampson’s cosmic-ray and plasma-coupling study is on arXiv

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Our study of cosmic-ray and plasma coupling, led by Matt Sampson, is available as a preprint on arXiv.

Update, April 2026: The paper is now published in The Astrophysical Journal.

🎉Published in Nature Astronomy🎉 -- The spectrum of magnetized turbulence in the interstellar medium!

Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

🎉I've submitted our work on dynamical alignment to PRL!

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

🎉Congrats Neco Kriel🎉 (ANU) -- student-led study published on the supersonic turbulent dynamo!

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

🎉My first SNe-driven turbulence paper is on the arXiv!

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Off to Lyon and Chateau de Goutelas

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

🎉 I was a commentator in a CNN article on the Starry Night

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

🎉 ICM talk at Galaxy Clusters & Radio Relics II, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

🎉 10k simulation featured in the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre newsletter for July!

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

🎉 New Scientist features the 10k MHD simulation in print!

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

🎉Results from the world's largest MHD turbulence simulation hits the arXiv!

Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

✈️I'm off to Tallahassee for the HEDLA meeting!

Mon, 20 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

🎉Congrats Michael Grehan🎉 (CITA) -- student-led study submitted on magnetic reconnection through many different special relativistic plasma regimes!

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000