Kinetic Cascade in Solar-wind Turbulence: 3D3V Hybrid-kinetic Simulations with Electron Inertia

doi:https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/AA87B0

Title: Kinetic Cascade in Solar-wind Turbulence: 3D3V Hybrid-kinetic Simulations with Electron Inertia

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Abstract

Understanding the nature of the turbulent fluctuations below the ion gyroradius in solar-wind (SW) turbulence is a great challenge. Recent studies have been mostly in favor of kinetic Alfvén wave (KAW)-type fluctuations, but other kinds of fluctuations with characteristics typical of magnetosonic, whistler, and ion-Bernstein modes could also play a role depending on the plasma parameters. Here, we investigate the properties of the subproton-scale cascade with high-resolution hybrid-kinetic simulations of freely decaying turbulence in 3D3V phase space, including electron inertia effects. Two proton plasma beta are explored: the “intermediate” β {sub p} = 1 and “low” β {sub p} = 0.2 regimes, both typically observed in the SW and corona. The magnetic energy spectum exhibits k{sub ⊥}{sup −8/3} and k{sub ∥}{sup −7/2} power laws at β {sub p} = 1, while they are slightly steeper at β {sub p} = 0.2. Nevertheless, both regimes develop a spectral anisotropy consistent with k{sub ∥}∼k{sub ⊥}{sup 2/3} at k{sub ⊥}ρ{sub p}>1 and pronounced small-scale intermittency. In this context, we find that the kinetic-scale cascade is dominated by KAW-like fluctuations at β {sub p} = 1, whereas the low-β case presents a more complex scenario suggesting the simultaneous presence of different types of fluctuations. In both regimes, however, a possible role of the ion-Bernstein-typemore »« less

Authors:

Cerri, Silvio Sergio; Califano, Francesco ^[1]; Servidio, Sergio ^[2]

Dipartimento di Fisica “E. Fermi,” Università di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, I-56127 Pisa (Italy)
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, I-87036 Rende (CS) (Italy)

Publication Date:: 2017-09-10

OSTI Identifier:: 22872550

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Astrophysical Journal Letters

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 846; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

Subject:: 79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ANISOTROPY; BERNSTEIN MODE; ELECTRONS; KINETIC EQUATIONS; PHASE SPACE; PLASMA; PROTONS; SIMULATION; SOLAR WIND; TURBULENCE; WHISTLERS

Citation Formats


                    Cerri, Silvio Sergio, Califano, Francesco, and Servidio, Sergio. Kinetic Cascade in Solar-wind Turbulence: 3D3V Hybrid-kinetic Simulations with Electron Inertia.  United Kingdom: N. p., 2017. 
        Web.  doi:10.3847/2041-8213/AA87B0.

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                    Cerri, Silvio Sergio, Califano, Francesco, & Servidio, Sergio. Kinetic Cascade in Solar-wind Turbulence: 3D3V Hybrid-kinetic Simulations with Electron Inertia.  United Kingdom.  https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/AA87B0

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                    Cerri, Silvio Sergio, Califano, Francesco, and Servidio, Sergio. Sun .  
        "Kinetic Cascade in Solar-wind Turbulence: 3D3V Hybrid-kinetic Simulations with Electron Inertia".  United Kingdom.  https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/AA87B0.

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@article{osti_22872550,

  title        = {Kinetic Cascade in Solar-wind Turbulence: 3D3V Hybrid-kinetic Simulations with Electron Inertia},

  author       = {Cerri, Silvio Sergio and Califano, Francesco and Servidio, Sergio},

  abstractNote = {Understanding the nature of the turbulent fluctuations below the ion gyroradius in solar-wind (SW) turbulence is a great challenge. Recent studies have been mostly in favor of kinetic Alfvén wave (KAW)-type fluctuations, but other kinds of fluctuations with characteristics typical of magnetosonic, whistler, and ion-Bernstein modes could also play a role depending on the plasma parameters. Here, we investigate the properties of the subproton-scale cascade with high-resolution hybrid-kinetic simulations of freely decaying turbulence in 3D3V phase space, including electron inertia effects. Two proton plasma beta are explored: the “intermediate” β {sub p} = 1 and “low” β {sub p} = 0.2 regimes, both typically observed in the SW and corona. The magnetic energy spectum exhibits k{sub ⊥}{sup −8/3} and k{sub ∥}{sup −7/2} power laws at β {sub p} = 1, while they are slightly steeper at β {sub p} = 0.2. Nevertheless, both regimes develop a spectral anisotropy consistent with k{sub ∥}∼k{sub ⊥}{sup 2/3} at k{sub ⊥}ρ{sub p}>1 and pronounced small-scale intermittency. In this context, we find that the kinetic-scale cascade is dominated by KAW-like fluctuations at β {sub p} = 1, whereas the low-β case presents a more complex scenario suggesting the simultaneous presence of different types of fluctuations. In both regimes, however, a possible role of the ion-Bernstein-type fluctuations at the smallest scales cannot be excluded.},

  doi          = {10.3847/2041-8213/AA87B0},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22872550},
  journal      = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},

  issn         = {2041-8205},

  number       = 2,

  volume       = 846,

  place        = {United Kingdom},

  year         = {2017},

  month        = {9}

}

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