POP Nameplate
  • Volume/Page
  • Keyword
  • DOI
  • Citation
  • Advanced
   
 
 
 

Flickr Twitter UniPHY Group iResearch App Facebook

Physics of Plasmas / Volume 19 / Issue 2 / ARTICLES / Nonlinear Phenomena, Turbulence, Transport

Phys. Plasmas 19, 022305 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3682960 (8 pages)

Kinetic cascade beyond magnetohydrodynamics of solar wind turbulence in two-dimensional hybrid simulations

D. Verscharen1,2, E. Marsch1, U. Motschmann2,3, and J. Müller2

1Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
2Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
3Institut für Planetenforschung, DLR, Rutherfordstr. 2, 12489 Berlin-Adlershof, Germany

View MapView Map

(Received 23 September 2011; accepted 3 January 2012; published online 16 February 2012)

The nature of solar wind turbulence in the dissipation range at scales much smaller than the large magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) scales remains under debate. Here, a two-dimensional model based on the hybrid code abbreviated as A.I.K.E.F. is presented, which treats massive ions as particles obeying the kinetic Vlasov equation and massless electrons as a neutralizing fluid. Up to a certain wavenumber in the MHD regime, the numerical system is initialized by assuming a superposition of isotropic Alfvén waves with amplitudes that follow the empirically confirmed spectral law of Kolmogorov. Then, turbulence develops and energy cascades into the dispersive spectral range, where also dissipative effects occur. Under typical solar wind conditions, weak turbulence develops as a superposition of normal modes in the kinetic regime. Spectral analysis in the direction parallel to the background magnetic field reveals a cascade of left-handed Alfvén/ion-cyclotron waves up to wave vectors where their resonant absorption sets in, as well as a continuing cascade of right-handed fast-mode and whistler waves. Perpendicular to the background field, a broad turbulent spectrum is found to be built up of fluctuations having a strong compressive component. Ion-Bernstein waves seem to be possible normal modes in this propagation direction for lower driving amplitudes. Also, signatures of short-scale pressure-balanced structures (very oblique slow-mode waves) are found.

© 2012 American Institute of Physics

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. NUMERICAL METHOD
  3. RESULTS
    1. Results for simulation Run A
    2. Results for simulation Run B
  4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

RELATED DATABASES

To view database links for this article, you need to log in.

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

astrophysical plasma, plasma Alfven waves, plasma fluctuations, plasma instability, plasma magnetohydrodynamics, plasma simulation, plasma turbulence, solar wind, spectral analysis, whistlers

PACS

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3682960

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

1070-664X (print)  
1089-7674 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

For access to fully linked references, you need to log in.
    S. Oughton, W. H. Matthaeus, and S. Ghosh, Phys. Plasmas 5, 4235 (1998)PHPAEN000005000012004235000001.

    G. G. Howes, Phys. Plasmas 15, 055904 (2008)PHPAEN000015000005055904000001
    arXiv:astro-ph/:0711.4358.

    T. N. Parashar, M. A. Shay, P. A. Cassak, and W. H. Matthaeus, Phys. Plasmas 16, 032310 (2009)PHPAEN000016000003032310000001.

    T. N. Parashar, S. Servidio, B. Breech, M. A. Shay, and W. H. Matthaeus, Phys. Plasmas 17, 102304 (2010)PHPAEN000017000010102304000001.

    C. H. K. Chen, T. S. Horbury, A. A. Schekochihin, R. T. Wicks, O. Alexandrova, and J. Mitchell, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 255002 (2010), arXiv:astro-ph/:1002.2539 [physics.space-ph].

    F. Sahraoui, M. L. Goldstein, G. Belmont, P. Canu, and L. Rezeau, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 131101 (2010).

    G. G. Howes, J. M. TenBarge, and W. Dorland, Phys. Plasmas 18, 102305 (2011)PHPAEN000018000010102305000001.

    T. N. Parashar, S. Servidio, M. A. Shay, B. Breech, and W. H. Matthaeus, Phys. Plasmas 18, 092302 (2011)PHPAEN000018000009092302000001.


Figures (12)

Access to article objects (figures, tables, multimedia) requires a subscription; log in to view available files.
(Access to supplementary files, where available, is free for this journal.)



Close

Google Calendar

ADVERTISEMENT

Your Recent History Recent History Help

Recently Viewed

  1. Kinetic cascade beyond magnetohydrodynamics of solar wind turbulence in two-dimensional hybrid simulations
  2. Nonplanar electron acoustic shock waves in a plasma with electrons featuring Tsallis distribution
  3. Nonlinear entropy transfer via zonal flows in gyrokinetic plasma turbulence
  4. Simulation studies of positron acceleration in a shock wave in a nonuniform external magnetic field
  5. Experimental investigation of geodesic acoustic mode spatial structure, intermittency, and interaction with turbulence in the DIII-D tokamak
Go to AIP Home
Copyright © American Institute of Physics
close