Kinetic simulations of magnetized turbulence in astrophysical plasmas

This Letter presents the first ab initio, fully electromagnetic, kinetic simulations of magnetized turbulence in a homogeneous, weakly collisional plasma at the scale of the ion Larmor radius (ion gyroscale). Magnetic- and electric-field energy spectra show a break at the ion gyroscale; the spectral...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2008-02, Vol.100 (6), p.065004-065004, Article 065004
Main Authors: Howes, G G, Dorland, W, Cowley, S C, Hammett, G W, Quataert, E, Schekochihin, A A, Tatsuno, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALFVEN WAVES
ASTROPHYSICS
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ENERGY SPECTRA
IONS
LARMOR RADIUS
SIMULATION
SOLAR WIND
TURBULENCE
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Summary:This Letter presents the first ab initio, fully electromagnetic, kinetic simulations of magnetized turbulence in a homogeneous, weakly collisional plasma at the scale of the ion Larmor radius (ion gyroscale). Magnetic- and electric-field energy spectra show a break at the ion gyroscale; the spectral slopes are consistent with scaling predictions for critically balanced turbulence of Alfvén waves above the ion gyroscale (spectral index -5/3) and of kinetic Alfvén waves below the ion gyroscale (spectral indices of -7/3 for magnetic and -1/3 for electric fluctuations). This behavior is also qualitatively consistent with in situ measurements of turbulence in the solar wind. Our findings support the hypothesis that the frequencies of turbulent fluctuations in the solar wind remain well below the ion cyclotron frequency both above and below the ion gyroscale.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.100.065004