Wavenumber spectrum of whistler turbulence: Particle-in-cell simulation

Saito, S; Gary, S Peter; Narita, Y

doi:10.1063/1.3526602

Title: Wavenumber spectrum of whistler turbulence: Particle-in-cell simulation

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Abstract

The forward cascade of decaying whistler turbulence is studied in low beta plasma to understand essential properties of the energy spectrum at electron scales, by using a two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. This simulation demonstrates turbulence in which the energy cascade rate is greater than the dissipation rate at the electron inertial length. The PIC simulation shows that the magnetic energy spectrum of forward-cascaded whistler turbulence at electron inertial scales is anisotropic and develops a very steep power-law spectrum which is consistent with recent solar wind observations. A comparison of the simulated spectrum with that predicted by a phenomenological turbulence scaling model suggests that the energy cascade at the electron inertial scale depends on both magnetic fluctuations and electron velocity fluctuations, as well as on the whistler dispersion relation. Thus, not only kinetic Alfven turbulence but also whistler turbulence may explain recent solar wind observations of very steep magnetic spectra at short scales.

Authors:

Saito, S ^[1]; Gary, S Peter ^[2]; Narita, Y ^[3]

Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan)
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
Institut fuer Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, D-38106 Braunschweig (Germany)

Publication Date:: Wed Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2010

OSTI Identifier:: 21532084

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Physics of Plasmas

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 17; Journal Issue: 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3526602; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT; DISPERSION RELATIONS; ELECTRONS; ENERGY SPECTRA; FLUCTUATIONS; LOW-BETA PLASMA; PLASMA SIMULATION; SCALING; SOLAR WIND; TURBULENCE; TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; VELOCITY; WHISTLERS; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; FERMIONS; LEPTONS; NOISE; PLASMA; RADIATION TRANSPORT; RADIATIONS; RADIO NOISE; RADIOWAVE RADIATION; SIMULATION; SOLAR ACTIVITY; SPECTRA; STELLAR ACTIVITY; STELLAR WINDS; VARIATIONS

Citation Formats


                    Saito, S, Gary, S Peter, and Narita, Y. Wavenumber spectrum of whistler turbulence: Particle-in-cell simulation.  United States: N. p., 2010. 
        Web.  doi:10.1063/1.3526602.

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                    Saito, S, Gary, S Peter, & Narita, Y. Wavenumber spectrum of whistler turbulence: Particle-in-cell simulation.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3526602

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                    Saito, S, Gary, S Peter, and Narita, Y. 2010.  
        "Wavenumber spectrum of whistler turbulence: Particle-in-cell simulation".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3526602.

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@article{osti_21532084,

  title        = {Wavenumber spectrum of whistler turbulence: Particle-in-cell simulation},

  author       = {Saito, S and Gary, S Peter and Narita, Y},

  abstractNote = {The forward cascade of decaying whistler turbulence is studied in low beta plasma to understand essential properties of the energy spectrum at electron scales, by using a two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. This simulation demonstrates turbulence in which the energy cascade rate is greater than the dissipation rate at the electron inertial length. The PIC simulation shows that the magnetic energy spectrum of forward-cascaded whistler turbulence at electron inertial scales is anisotropic and develops a very steep power-law spectrum which is consistent with recent solar wind observations. A comparison of the simulated spectrum with that predicted by a phenomenological turbulence scaling model suggests that the energy cascade at the electron inertial scale depends on both magnetic fluctuations and electron velocity fluctuations, as well as on the whistler dispersion relation. Thus, not only kinetic Alfven turbulence but also whistler turbulence may explain recent solar wind observations of very steep magnetic spectra at short scales.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.3526602},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21532084},
  journal      = {Physics of Plasmas},

  issn         = {1070-664X},

  number       = 12,

  volume       = 17,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2010},

  month        = {Wed Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2010}

}

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