Turbulence in Magnetized Pair Plasmas

Loureiro, Nuno F.; Boldyrev, Stanislav

doi:10.7910/DVN/JIR16L

Title: Turbulence in Magnetized Pair Plasmas

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Abstract

Alfvenic-type turbulence in strongly magnetized, low-beta pair plasmas is investigated. A coupled set of equations for the evolution of the magnetic and flow potentials are derived, covering both fluid and kinetic scales. In the fluid (MHD) range those equations are the same as for electron-ion plasmas, so turbulence at those scales is expected to be of the Alfvenic nature, exhibiting critical balance, dynamic alignment, and transition to a tearing mediated regime at small scales. The critical scale at which a transition to a tearing-mediated range occurs is derived, and the spectral slope in that range is predicted to be $$k_\perp^{-8/3}$$ (or $$k_\perp^{-3}, depending on details of the reconnecting configuration assumed). At scales below the electron (and positron) skin depth, it is argued that turbulence is dictated by a cascade of the inertial Alfven wave, which we show to result in the magnetic energy spectrum $$propto k_\perp^{-11/3}$.

Authors:

Loureiro, Nuno F.; Boldyrev, Stanislav

OSTI

Publication Date:: Wed Oct 24 04:00:00 UTC 2018

DOE Contract Number:: SC0016215

Research Org.:: Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Science and Fusion Center

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)

Subject:: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

OSTI Identifier:: 1880224

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/JIR16L

Citation Formats


                    Loureiro, Nuno F., and Boldyrev, Stanislav. Turbulence in Magnetized Pair Plasmas.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
        Web.  doi:10.7910/DVN/JIR16L.

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                    Loureiro, Nuno F., & Boldyrev, Stanislav. Turbulence in Magnetized Pair Plasmas.  United States.  doi:https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/JIR16L

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                    Loureiro, Nuno F., and Boldyrev, Stanislav. 2018.  
"Turbulence in Magnetized Pair Plasmas".  United States.  doi:https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/JIR16L.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1880224. Pub date:Wed Oct 24 04:00:00 UTC 2018

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@article{osti_1880224,

  title        = {Turbulence in Magnetized Pair Plasmas},

  author       = {Loureiro, Nuno F. and Boldyrev, Stanislav},

  abstractNote = {Alfvenic-type turbulence in strongly magnetized, low-beta pair plasmas is investigated. A coupled set of equations for the evolution of the magnetic and flow potentials are derived, covering both fluid and kinetic scales. In the fluid (MHD) range those equations are the same as for electron-ion plasmas, so turbulence at those scales is expected to be of the Alfvenic nature, exhibiting critical balance, dynamic alignment, and transition to a tearing mediated regime at small scales. The critical scale at which a transition to a tearing-mediated range occurs is derived, and the spectral slope in that range is predicted to be $k_\perp^{-8/3}$ (or $k_\perp^{-3}, depending on details of the reconnecting configuration assumed). At scales below the electron (and positron) skin depth, it is argued that turbulence is dictated by a cascade of the inertial Alfven wave, which we show to result in the magnetic energy spectrum $propto k_\perp^{-11/3}$.},

  doi          = {10.7910/DVN/JIR16L},

  journal      = {},

  number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Oct 24 04:00:00 UTC 2018},

  month        = {Wed Oct 24 04:00:00 UTC 2018}

}

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/JIR16L

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