Electron Influence on the Parallel Proton Firehose Instability in 10-moment, Multifluid Simulations

Instabilities driven by pressure anisotropy play a critical role in modulating the energy transfer in space and astrophysical plasmas. For the first time, we simulate the evolution and saturation of the parallel proton firehose instability using a multifluid model without adding artificial viscosity...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2024-11, Vol.975 (2), p.290
Main Authors: Walters, Jada, Klein, Kristopher G., Lichko, Emily, Juno, James, TenBarge, Jason M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anisotropy
Electron plasma
Electron pressure
Electrons
Energy transfer
Heat flux
Instability
Plasma astrophysics
Plasma physics
Protons
Solar wind
Space plasmas
Stability
Viscosity
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Summary:Instabilities driven by pressure anisotropy play a critical role in modulating the energy transfer in space and astrophysical plasmas. For the first time, we simulate the evolution and saturation of the parallel proton firehose instability using a multifluid model without adding artificial viscosity. These simulations are performed using a 10-moment, multifluid model with local and gradient relaxation heat-flux closures in high- β proton–electron plasmas. When these higher-order moments are included and pressure anisotropy is permitted to develop in all species, we find that the electrons have a significant impact on the saturation of the parallel proton firehose instability, modulating the proton pressure anisotropy as the instability saturates. Even for lower β 's more relevant to heliospheric plasmas, we observe a pronounced electron energization in simulations using the gradient relaxation closure. Our results indicate that resolving the electron pressure anisotropy is important to correctly describe the behavior of multispecies plasma systems.
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.3847/1538-4357/ad7c47