Wavevector anisotropy of plasma turbulence at ion kinetic scales: solar wind observations and hybrid simulations

Comişel, H.; Narita, Yasuhito; Motschmann, U.

doi:10.5194/npg-21-1075-2014

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(40 reference statements)

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“…This basic notion can be summarized as follows. MHD fluctuations in the solar wind reveal distinct anisotropies in the fieldamplitude variances and energy spectra in the inertial range and ion dissipation range (Horbury et al 2012;Comişel et al 2014). Similar wave vector anisotropies are obtained in simulated and modeled turbulence energy spectra.…”

Section: Quasi-perpendicular Propagationsupporting

confidence: 53%

Kinetic Slow Mode in the Solar Wind and Its Possible Role in Turbulence Dissipation and Ion Heating

Narita

Marsch

2015

ApJ

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The solar wind is permeated by various kinds of fluctuations ranging broadly in scales from those of the solar corona and inner heliosphere down to the local ion and electron plasma kinetic scales. The question of what rules the dissipation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in the solar wind has not conclusively been answered, but remains a key research topic of space plasma physics. Here we propose a new dissipation mechanism, the proton Landau damping of the quasi-perpendicular kinetic slow mode. This mode is linked to the oblique MHD slow mode, yet has shorter wavelengths going down to the proton inertial length. The kinetic slow mode can be separated from the kinetic Alfvén mode by the Alfvén resonance parameter, the proton Landau resonance parameter, the magnetic compressibility, and the electric field polarization. Numerical simulations and in situ observations indicate that the MHD turbulent cascade preferably transfers energy in the direction perpendicular to the background magnetic field. If the kinetic slow mode is also generated and replenished by the energy cascade, this mode can lead to both perpendicular and parallel heating of the protons.

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Section: Quasi-perpendicular Propagationsupporting

confidence: 53%

Kinetic Slow Mode in the Solar Wind and Its Possible Role in Turbulence Dissipation and Ion Heating

Narita

Marsch

2015

ApJ

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“…Other studies, including those employing the multi-spacecraft k-filtering technique [68,69], have also found that the quasi-perpendicular wavevectors remain energetically dominant in the dissipation range [67,[70][71][72][73][74][75], as in the inertial range. In k-filtering, multi-spacecraft observations (e.g.…”

Section: (A) Review Of Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anisotropy in solar wind plasma turbulence

Oughton

Matthaeus

Wan

et al. 2015

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

123

113

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One contribution of 11 to a theme issue 'Dissipation and heating in solar wind turbulence' . A review of spectral anisotropy and variance anisotropy for solar wind fluctuations is given, with the discussion covering inertial range and dissipation range scales. For the inertial range, theory, simulations and observations are more or less in accord, in that fluctuation energy is found to be primarily in modes with quasi-perpendicular wavevectors (relative to a suitably defined mean magnetic field), and also that most of the fluctuation energy is in the vector components transverse to the mean field. Energy transfer in the parallel direction and the energy levels in the parallel components are both relatively weak. In the dissipation range, observations indicate that variance anisotropy tends to decrease towards isotropic levels as the electron gyroradius is approached; spectral anisotropy results are mixed. Evidence for and against wave interpretations and turbulence interpretations of these features will be discussed. We also present new simulation results concerning evolution of variance anisotropy for different classes of initial conditions, each with typical background solar wind parameters.

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“…Generally all of the incompressible points follow the empirical law obtained in Comişel et al (2014). In the two intervals of fast solar wind, the compressible magnetic fluctuations are the most anisotropic followed by the incompressible magnetic fluctuations and the most isotropic being the density fluctuations.…”

Section: Anisotropymentioning

confidence: 59%

“…The dashed line in Fig. 2a denotes the empirical relation derived from the numerical simulations of Comişel et al (2014), and the dot dashed line at A = 1 denotes isotropy. It is important to note that this relation was derived for the total magnetic field fluctuations and were performed over a plasma β range of [0.05, 2].…”

Section: Anisotropymentioning

confidence: 99%

Three-dimensional density and compressible magnetic structure in solar wind turbulence

2018

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Abstract. The three-dimensional structure of both compressible and incompressible components of turbulence is investigated at proton characteristic scales in the solar wind. Measurements of the three-dimensional structure are typically difficult, since the majority of measurements are performed by a single spacecraft. However, the Cluster mission consisting of four spacecraft in a tetrahedral formation allows for a fully three-dimensional investigation of turbulence. Incompressible turbulence is investigated by using the three vector components of the magnetic field. Meanwhile compressible turbulence is investigated by considering the magnitude of the magnetic field as a proxy for the compressible fluctuations and electron density data deduced from spacecraft potential. Application of the multi-point signal resonator technique to intervals of fast and slow wind shows that both compressible and incompressible turbulence are anisotropic with respect to the mean magnetic field direction P ⊥ P and are sensitive to the value of the plasma beta (β; ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure) and the wind type. Moreover, the incompressible fluctuations of the fast and slow solar wind are revealed to be different with enhancements along the background magnetic field direction present in the fast wind intervals. The differences in the fast and slow wind and the implications for the presence of different wave modes in the plasma are discussed.

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Wavevector anisotropy of plasma turbulence at ion kinetic scales: solar wind observations and hybrid simulations

Cited by 15 publications

References 34 publications

Kinetic Slow Mode in the Solar Wind and Its Possible Role in Turbulence Dissipation and Ion Heating

Kinetic Slow Mode in the Solar Wind and Its Possible Role in Turbulence Dissipation and Ion Heating

Anisotropy in solar wind plasma turbulence

Three-dimensional density and compressible magnetic structure in solar wind turbulence

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