A SHORT-TIMESCALE CHANNEL OF DISSIPATION OF THE STRONG SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE

Journal Article · Tue Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/739/1/22; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21587548

Markovskii, S A

Hybrid numerical simulations of a turbulent cascade nearly perpendicular to the background magnetic field are carried out at the proton kinetic scales. It is shown that the cascade produces exponentially growing current sheets previously observed in fluid simulations. In the kinetic limit, the sheets are developing on a timescale as fast as the proton gyration. The rapid variations of the electric field associated with the sheets can demagnetize the protons and increase their thermal energy preferentially across the mean magnetic field. The relevance of this mechanism to the solar wind heating is discussed.

• OSTI ID: 21587548
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 739, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/739/1/22; 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
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
HEATING
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
PROTONS
SOLAR WIND
TURBULENCE
VARIATIONS
BARYONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
NUCLEONS
SIMULATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS