Three Dimensional Anisotropic k Spectra of Turbulence at Subproton Scales in the Solar Wind

Journal Article · Fri Sep 24 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.105.131101· OSTI ID:21471014

Sahraoui, F; Goldstein, M L; Belmont, G; Canu, P; Rezeau, L ^[1]

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1. Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique-UPMC, Observatoire de Saint-Maur, 4 avenue de Neptune, 94107 Saint-Maur-des-Fosses (France)

We show the first three dimensional (3D) dispersion relations and k spectra of magnetic turbulence in the solar wind at subproton scales. We used the Cluster data with short separations and applied the k-filtering technique to the frequency range where the transition to subproton scales occurs. We show that the cascade is carried by highly oblique kinetic Alfven waves with {omega}{sub plas{<=}}0.1{omega}{sub ci} down to k{sub perpendicular{rho}i{approx}}2. Each k spectrum in the direction perpendicular to B{sub 0} shows two scaling ranges separated by a breakpoint (in the interval [0.4,1]k{sub perpendicular{rho}i}): a Kolmogorov scaling k{sub perpendicular}{sup -1.7} followed by a steeper scaling {approx}k{sub perpendicular}{sup -4.5}. We conjecture that the turbulence undergoes a transition range, where part of the energy is dissipated into proton heating via Landau damping and the remaining energy cascades down to electron scales where electron Landau damping may predominate.

• OSTI ID: 21471014
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 105; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ALFVEN WAVES
ANISOTROPY
ASTROPHYSICS
BARYONS
DAMPING
DISPERSION RELATIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY SPECTRA
FERMIONS
HADRONS
HEATING
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
LANDAU DAMPING
LEPTONS
NUCLEONS
PHYSICS
PROTONS
RADIATION HEATING
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
SPECTRA
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TURBULENCE