About
I was born in Hebei, China, and came to UCLA to pursue my Ph.D. in Space Physics. I have lived in Los Angeles since then, with my husband and son.

Research
- Wave-particle interactions in Earth’s and Jovian magnetospheres
- Incorporating plasma waves into space weather modeling
- Excitation and propagation of plasma waves
- Plasma kinetics in the planetary magnetospheres
- Aurora and particle precipitation
Educational Background
- Ph.D in Space Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, June 2014
- M.S. in Space Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, December 2010
- B.S. in Space Physics, Peking University, China, July 2008

Selected Publications
1. Zhang, X.-J., Mourenas, D., Artemyev, A. V., Angelopoulos, V., Bortnik, J., Thorne, R., Kurth, W. S., Kletzing, C. A., and Hospodarsky, G. B. (2019), Nonlinear electron interaction with intense chorus waves: statistics of occurrence rates, Geophysical Research Letters, 46, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083833.
2. Zhang, X.-J., Thorne, R., Artemyev, A., Mourenas, D., Angelopoulos, V., Bortnik, J., et al. (2018), Properties of intense field-aligned lower-band chorus waves: Implications for nonlinear wave-particle interactions, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 123, 5379–5393, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA025390.
3. Zhang, X.-J., Mourenas, D., Artemyev, A. V., Angelopoulos, V., and Thorne, R. M. (2018), Electron flux enhancements at L = 4.2 observed by Global Positioning System satellites: Relationship with solar wind and geomagnetic activity, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 123, 6189–6206, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA025497.
4. Zhang, X.-J., D. Mourenas, A. V. Artemyev, V. Angelopoulos, and R. M. Thorne (2017), Contemporaneous EMIC and whistler mode waves: Observations and consequences for MeV electron loss, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 8113–8121, doi:10.1002/2017GL073886.
5. Zhang, X.-J., A. Artemyev, V. Angelopoulos, and R. B. Horne (2017), Kinetics of sub-ion scale magnetic holes in the near-Earth plasma sheet, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 122, doi:10.1002/2017JA024197.
6. Zhang, X.-J., R. M. Thorne, Q. Ma, W. Li, B. H. Mauk, C. Paranicas, D. K. Haggerty, J. E. P. Connerney, and S. J. Bolton (2017), Searching for low-altitude magnetic field anomalies by using observations of the energetic particle loss cone on JUNO, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, doi:10.1002/2017GL072902.
7. Zhang, X.-J., W. Li, R. M. Thorne, V. Angelopoulos, J. Bortnik, C. A. Kletzing, W. S. Kurth, and G. B. Hospodarsky (2016), Statistical distribution of EMIC wave spectra: Observations from Van Allen Probes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 12,348–12,355, doi:10.1002/2016GL071158.
8. Zhang, X.-J., W. Li, Q. Ma, R. M. Thorne, V. Angelopoulos, J. Bortnik, L. Chen, C. A. Kletzing, W. S. Kurth, G. B. Hospodarsky, D. N. Baker, G. D. Reeves, H. E. Spence, J. B. Blake, and J. F. Fennell (2016), Direct evidence for EMIC wave scattering of relativistic electrons in space, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 121, 6620–6631, doi:10.1002/2016JA022521.
9. Zhang, X.-J., V. Angelopoulos, B. Ni, and R. M. Thorne (2015), Predominance of ECH wave contribution to diffuse aurora in Earth's outer magnetosphere, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 120, 295–309, doi:10.1002/2014JA020455.
10. Zhang, X.-J., V. Angelopoulos, A. Runov, X.-Z. Zhou, J. Bonnell, J. P. McFadden, D. Larson, and U. Auster (2011), Current carriers near dipolarization fronts in the magnetotail: A THEMIS event study, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A00I20, doi:10.1029/2010JA015885.
11. Lun Xie, XiaoJia Zhang, ZuYin Pu, YongFu Wang, SuiYan Fu, and QiuGang Zong (2008), Ultra low frequency waves observed by Double Star TC-1 in the plasmasphere boundary layer, Science in China Series E: Technological Sciences, Volume 51, Number 10, doi:10.1007/s11431-008-0263-x.
My full list of publications can be found here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=P-0lqcAAAAAJ
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