THE ROLE OF ALPHA PARTICLES IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOLAR-WIND TURBULENCE TOWARD SHORT SPATIAL SCALES

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/741/1/43; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21612757

Perrone, D; Valentini, F; Veltri, P ^[1]

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1. Dipartimento di Fisica and CNISM, Universita della Calabria, I-87030 Rende (Italy)

We present a numerical study of the kinetic dynamics of protons and alpha particles during the evolution of the solar-wind turbulent cascade, in which the energy injected in large-scale slab-type Alfvenic fluctuations is transferred toward short spatial scale lengths, across the proton skin depth. We make use of a hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell code that integrates numerically the Vlasov equation for both the ion species, while the electrons are considered as a fluid. The system evolution is investigated in terms of different values of the electron to proton and alpha particle to proton temperature ratios. The numerical results show that the previously studied kinetic dynamics of protons is not strongly affected by the presence of alpha particles, at least when they are present in low concentration. Our simulations not only provide a physical explanation for the generation of beams of accelerated particles along the direction of the ambient magnetic field for both protons and alpha particles, but also show that this mechanism is more efficient for protons than for alpha particles, in agreement with recent solar-wind data analyses.

• OSTI ID: 21612757
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 741, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/741/1/43; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ACCELERATION
BOLTZMANN-VLASOV EQUATION
DATA ANALYSIS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PROTON TEMPERATURE
SOLAR ALPHA PARTICLES
SOLAR ELECTRONS
SOLAR PROTONS
SOLAR SYSTEM EVOLUTION
SOLAR WIND
STAR EVOLUTION
TURBULENCE
ALPHA PARTICLES
BARYONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUATIONS
EVOLUTION
FERMIONS
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
MATHEMATICS
NUCLEONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PROTONS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR RADIATION
STELLAR WINDS