Dissipation and particle energization in moderate to low beta turbulent plasma via PIC simulations
Abstract
Here, we simulate decaying turbulence in electron-positron pair plasmas using a fully-kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) code. We run two simulations with moderate-to-low plasma β (the ratio of thermal pressure to magnetic pressure). The energy decay rate is found to be similar in both cases. The perpendicular wave-number spectrum of magnetic energy shows a slope between $${k}_{\perp }^{-1.3}$$ and $${k}_{\perp }^{-1.1}$$, where the perpendicular (⊥) and parallel (∥) directions are defined with respect to the magnetic field. The particle kinetic energy distribution function shows the formation of a non-thermal feature in the case of lower plasma β, with a slope close to E-1. The correlation between thin turbulent current sheets and Ohmic heating by the dot product of electric field (E) and current density (J) is investigated. By heating the parallel E∥ centerdot J∥ term dominates the perpendicular E⊥ centerdot J⊥ term. Regions of strong E∥ centerdot J∥ are spatially well-correlated with regions of intense current sheets, which also appear correlated with regions of strong E∥ in the low β simulation, suggesting an important role of magnetic reconnection in the dissipation of low β plasma turbulence.
- Authors:
-
[2];
[2];
- Katholieke Univ., Leuven (Belgium). Center for Mathathematical Plasma Astrophysics
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, AL (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1411345
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-16-26433
Journal ID: ISSN 1742-6588; TRN: US1800213
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396; AC02-05CH11231
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Physics. Conference Series
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 837; Journal ID: ISSN 1742-6588
- Publisher:
- IOP Publishing
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; Astronomy and Astrophysics
Citation Formats
Makwana, Kirit, Li, Hui, Guo, Fan, and Li, Xiaocan. Dissipation and particle energization in moderate to low beta turbulent plasma via PIC simulations. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/837/1/012004.
Makwana, Kirit, Li, Hui, Guo, Fan, & Li, Xiaocan. Dissipation and particle energization in moderate to low beta turbulent plasma via PIC simulations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/837/1/012004
Makwana, Kirit, Li, Hui, Guo, Fan, and Li, Xiaocan. Tue .
"Dissipation and particle energization in moderate to low beta turbulent plasma via PIC simulations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/837/1/012004. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1411345.
@article{osti_1411345,
title = {Dissipation and particle energization in moderate to low beta turbulent plasma via PIC simulations},
author = {Makwana, Kirit and Li, Hui and Guo, Fan and Li, Xiaocan},
abstractNote = {Here, we simulate decaying turbulence in electron-positron pair plasmas using a fully-kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) code. We run two simulations with moderate-to-low plasma β (the ratio of thermal pressure to magnetic pressure). The energy decay rate is found to be similar in both cases. The perpendicular wave-number spectrum of magnetic energy shows a slope between ${k}_{\perp }^{-1.3}$ and ${k}_{\perp }^{-1.1}$, where the perpendicular (⊥) and parallel (∥) directions are defined with respect to the magnetic field. The particle kinetic energy distribution function shows the formation of a non-thermal feature in the case of lower plasma β, with a slope close to E-1. The correlation between thin turbulent current sheets and Ohmic heating by the dot product of electric field (E) and current density (J) is investigated. By heating the parallel E∥ centerdot J∥ term dominates the perpendicular E⊥ centerdot J⊥ term. Regions of strong E∥ centerdot J∥ are spatially well-correlated with regions of intense current sheets, which also appear correlated with regions of strong E∥ in the low β simulation, suggesting an important role of magnetic reconnection in the dissipation of low β plasma turbulence.},
doi = {10.1088/1742-6596/837/1/012004},
journal = {Journal of Physics. Conference Series},
number = ,
volume = 837,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 30 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Tue May 30 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Driving reconnection in sheared magnetic configurations with forced fluctuations
journal, February 2018
- Pongkitiwanichakul, Peera; Makwana, Kirit D.; Ruffolo, David
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 2
Study of magnetic reconnection in large-scale magnetic island coalescence via spatially coupled MHD and PIC simulations
journal, August 2018
- Makwana, Kirit D.; Keppens, Rony; Lapenta, Giovanni
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 8