Ion‐scale spectral break of solar wind turbulence at high and low beta
Abstract
The power spectrum of magnetic fluctuations in the solar wind at 1 AU displays a break between two power laws in the range of spacecraft-frame frequencies 0.1 to 1 Hz. These frequencies correspond to spatial scales in the plasma frame near the proton gyroradius pi and proton inertial length di. At 1 AU it is difficult to determine which of these is associated with the break, since di=ρ1/$$\sqrt{β_{⟂i}}$$ and the perpendicular ion plasma beta is typically β⟂i~1. To address this, several exceptional intervals with β⟂i≪1 and β⟂i≫1 were investigated, during which these scales were well separated. It was found that for β⟂i≪1 the break occurs at di and for β⟂i≫1 at pi, i.e., the larger of the two scales. Possible explanations for these results are discussed, including Alfvén wave dispersion, damping, and current sheets.
- Authors:
-
- Department of Physics Imperial College London London UK, Space Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley California USA
- Space Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley California USA
- Department of Physics University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
- Space Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley California USA, Department of Physics University of California Berkeley California USA
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1618148
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1342516; OSTI ID: 1458532; OSTI ID: 1785799
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0003888; NNX14AH16G
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Volume: 41 Journal Issue: 22; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; solar wind; plasma; turbulence
Citation Formats
Chen, C. H. K., Leung, L., Boldyrev, S., Maruca, B. A., and Bale, S. D. Ion‐scale spectral break of solar wind turbulence at high and low beta. United States: N. p., 2014.
Web. doi:10.1002/2014GL062009.
Chen, C. H. K., Leung, L., Boldyrev, S., Maruca, B. A., & Bale, S. D. Ion‐scale spectral break of solar wind turbulence at high and low beta. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062009
Chen, C. H. K., Leung, L., Boldyrev, S., Maruca, B. A., and Bale, S. D. Tue .
"Ion‐scale spectral break of solar wind turbulence at high and low beta". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062009.
@article{osti_1618148,
title = {Ion‐scale spectral break of solar wind turbulence at high and low beta},
author = {Chen, C. H. K. and Leung, L. and Boldyrev, S. and Maruca, B. A. and Bale, S. D.},
abstractNote = {The power spectrum of magnetic fluctuations in the solar wind at 1 AU displays a break between two power laws in the range of spacecraft-frame frequencies 0.1 to 1 Hz. These frequencies correspond to spatial scales in the plasma frame near the proton gyroradius pi and proton inertial length di. At 1 AU it is difficult to determine which of these is associated with the break, since di=ρ1/$\sqrt{β_{⟂i}}$ and the perpendicular ion plasma beta is typically β⟂i~1. To address this, several exceptional intervals with β⟂i≪1 and β⟂i≫1 were investigated, during which these scales were well separated. It was found that for β⟂i≪1 the break occurs at di and for β⟂i≫1 at pi, i.e., the larger of the two scales. Possible explanations for these results are discussed, including Alfvén wave dispersion, damping, and current sheets.},
doi = {10.1002/2014GL062009},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 22,
volume = 41,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Tue Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}
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