Vlasov simulation of the interaction between the solar wind and a dielectric body

Journal Article · Sat Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3551510· OSTI ID:21532190

Umeda, Takayuki; Kimura, Tetsuya; Togano, Kentaro; Matsumoto, Yosuke; Ogino, Tatsuki ^[1]; Fukazawa, Keiichiro ^[2]; Miyoshi, Takahiro ^[3]; Terada, Naoki ^[4]; Nakamura, Takuma K. M. ^[5]

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1. Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan)
2. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581 (Japan)
3. Department of Physical Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan)
4. Department of Geophysics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan)
5. Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara 229-8510 (Japan)

The global structure of wake field behind an unmagnetized object in the solar wind is studied by means of a 2.5-dimensional full-electromagnetic Vlasov simulation. The interaction of a plasma flow with an unmagnetized object is quite different from that with a magnetized object such as the Earth. Due to the absence of the global magnetic field, the unmagnetized object absorbs plasma particles that reach the surface, generating a plasma cavity called ''wake'' on the antisolar side of the object. For numerical simulations of electromagnetic structures around the wake, it is important to include the charging effect in global-scale simulations. The present study is one of the first attempts to study the formation of wake fields via a full-kinetic Vlasov simulation. It has been confirmed that the spatial structures of wake fields depend on the direction of interplanetary magnetic fields as well as the distance from the body.

• OSTI ID: 21532190
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3551510; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BOLTZMANN-VLASOV EQUATION
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
INTERACTIONS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
SOLAR WIND
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MECHANICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
SIMULATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS