Co-existence of whistler waves with kinetic Alfven wave turbulence for the high-beta solar wind plasma
- Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5346 (United States)
- Icarus Research Inc., P.O. Box 30780, Bethesda, Maryland 20824-0780 (United States)
It is shown that the dispersion relation for whistler waves is identical for a high or low beta plasma. Furthermore, in the high-beta solar wind plasma, whistler waves meet the Landau resonance with electrons for velocities less than the thermal speed, and consequently, the electric force is small compared to the mirror force. As whistlers propagate through the inhomogeneous solar wind, the perpendicular wave number increases through refraction, increasing the Landau damping rate. However, the whistlers can survive because the background kinetic Alfven wave (KAW) turbulence creates a plateau by quasilinear (QL) diffusion in the solar wind electron distribution at small velocities. It is found that for whistler energy density of only {approx}10{sup -3} that of the kinetic Alfven waves, the quasilinear diffusion rate due to whistlers is comparable to KAW. Thus, very small amplitude whistler turbulence can have a significant consequence on the evolution of the solar wind electron distribution function.
- OSTI ID:
- 22068834
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 19, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ALFVEN WAVES
AMPLITUDES
DIFFUSION
DISPERSION RELATIONS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY DENSITY
HIGH-BETA PLASMA
LANDAU DAMPING
LOW-BETA PLASMA
MIRRORS
REFRACTION
RESONANCE
SOLAR WIND
TURBULENCE
VELOCITY
WHISTLERS