Orszag Tang vortex - Kinetic study of a turbulent plasma

Journal Article · Thu Mar 25 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3395861· OSTI ID:21371721

Parashar, T N; Servidio, S; Shay, M A; Matthaeus, W H ^[1]; Cassak, P A ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, 217 Sharp Lab, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (United States)

Kinetic evolution of the Orszag-Tang vortex is studied using collisionless hybrid simulations based on particle in cell ions and fluid electrons. In magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) this configuration leads rapidly to broadband turbulence. An earlier study estimated the dissipation in the system. A comparison of MHD and hybrid simulations showed similar behavior at large scales but substantial differences at small scales. The hybrid magnetic energy spectrum shows a break at the scale where Hall term in the Ohm's law becomes important. The protons heat perpendicularly and most of the energy is dissipated through magnetic interactions. Here, the space time structure of the system is studied using frequency-wavenumber (k-omega) decomposition. No clear resonances appear, ruling out the cyclotron resonances as a likely candidate for the perpendicular heating. The only distinguishable wave modes present, which constitute a small percentage of total energy, are magnetosonic modes.

• OSTI ID: 21371721
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1216, Issue 1; Conference: 12. international solar wind conference, Saint-Malo (France), 21-26 Jun 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3395861; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CYCLOTRON RESONANCE
ELECTRONS
ENERGY SPECTRA
HEAT
IONS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
OHM LAW
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
PROTONS
TURBULENCE
VORTICES
BARYONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY
EVALUATION
FERMIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HADRONS
HYDRODYNAMICS
LEPTONS
MECHANICS
NUCLEONS
RESONANCE
SIMULATION
SPECTRA