Tag Archives: Plasma Physics

Compressible Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence Modulated by Collisionless Damping in Earth's Magnetosheath: Observation Matches Theory [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.12507


In this letter, we provide the first observational evidence of substantial collisionless damping (CD) modulation in the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence cascade in Earth’s magnetosheath using four Cluster spacecraft. Plasma turbulence is primarily shaped by the forcing on large scales and damping on small scales. Based on an improved compressible MHD decomposition algorithm, our observations demonstrate that CD enhances the anisotropy of compressible MHD modes due to their strong pitch angle dependence. The wavenumber distributions of slow modes are more stretched perpendicular to the background magnetic field ($\mathbf{B_0}$) under CD modulation compared to Alfv\’en modes. In contrast, fast modes are subject to a more significant CD modulation. Fast modes exhibit a scale-independent, slight anisotropy above the CD truncation scales, and their anisotropy increases as the wavenumbers fall below the CD truncation scales. As a result, CD affects the relative energy fractions in total compressible modes. Our findings take a significant step forward in comprehending the functions of CD in truncating the compressible MHD turbulence cascade and the consequential energy anisotropy in the wavevector space.

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S. Zhao, H. Yan, T. Liu, et. al.
Tue, 23 May 23
77/77

Comments: Main text: 5 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to PRL on May 11, 2023

Hall effect on the magnetic reconnections during the evolution of a three-dimensional magnetic flux rope [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.11660


We present a novel Hall magnetohydrodynamics (HMHD) numerical simulation of a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic flux rope (MFR) — generated by magnetic reconnections from an initial 3D bipolar sheared field. Magnetic reconnections during the HMHD evolution are compared with the MHD. In both simulations, the MFRs generate as a consequence of the magnetic reconnection at null points which has not been realized in contemporary simulations. Interestingly, the evolution is faster and more intricate in the HMHD simulation. Repetitive development of the twisted magnetic field lines (MFL) in the vicinity of 3D nulls (reconnection site) is unique to the HMHD evolution of the MFR. The dynamical evolution of magnetic field lines around the reconnection site being affected by the Hall forcing, correspondingly affects the large-scale structures.

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K. Bora, S. Agarwal, S. Kumar, et. al.
Mon, 22 May 23
7/60

Comments: Accepted for publication in Physica Scripta

Fast particle acceleration in 3D hybrid simulations of quasi-perpendicular shocks [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.10511


We use hybrid (kinetic ions — fluid electrons) kinetic simulations to investigate particle acceleration and magnetic field amplification at non-relativistic, weakly magnetized, quasi-perpendicular shocks. Unlike 2D simulations, 3D runs show that protons develop a non-thermal tail spontaneously (i.e., from the thermal bath and without pre-existing magnetic turbulence). They are rapidly accelerated via shock drift acceleration up to a maximum energy determined by their escape upstream.

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L. Orusa and D. Caprioli
Fri, 19 May 23
33/46

Comments: 6 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to PRL

Effect of Spherical Polarization on the Magnetic Spectrum of the Solar Wind [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.09763


Magnetic fluctuations in the solar wind are often observed to maintain constant magnitude of the magnetic field in a manner consistent with spherically-polarized large-amplitude Alfv\’en waves. We investigate the effect of spherical polarization on the magnetic spectral index through a statistical survey of magnetic fluctuations observed by Parker Solar Probe between 20$R_\odot$ and 200$R_\odot$. We find that deviations from spherical polarization, i.e., changes in $|\mathbf{B}|$ (compressive fluctuations) and one-dimensional discontinuities, have a dramatic effect on the scaling behavior of the turbulent fluctuations. We show that shallow $k^{-3/2}$ spectra are only observed for constant magnetic field strength, three-dimensional structures, which we identify as large amplitude Alfv\’en waves. The presence of compressive fluctuations coincides with a steepening of the spectrum up to $k^{-5/3}$. Steeper power law scalings approaching $k^{-2}$ are observed when the fluctuations are dominated by discontinuities. Near-sun fluctuations are found to be the most spherically polarized, suggesting that this spherical state is fundamental to the generation of the solar wind. With increasing distance from the Sun, fluctuations are found to become less three dimensional and more compressive, which may indicate the breakdown of the Alfv\’enic equilibrium state.

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C. Dunn, T. Bowen, A. Mallet, et. al.
Thu, 18 May 23
65/67

Comments: 10 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to The Astrophysical Journal

The Radial Distribution of Ion-scale Waves in the Inner Heliosphere [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.08424


Determining the mechanism responsible for the plasma heating and particle acceleration is a fundamental problem in the study of the heliosphere. Due to efficient wave-particle interactions of ion-scale waves with charged particles, these waves are widely believed to be a major contributor to ion energization, and their contribution considerably depends on the wave occurrence rate. By analyzing the radial distribution of quasi-monochromatic ion-scale waves observed by the Parker Solar Probe, this work shows that the wave occurrence rate is significantly enhanced in the near-Sun solar wind, specifically 21%$-$29% below 0.3 au, in comparison to 6%$-$14% beyond 0.3 au. The radial decrease of the wave occurrence rate is not only induced by the sampling effect of a single spacecraft detection, but also by the physics relating to the wave excitation, such as the enhanced ion beam instability in the near-Sun solar wind. This work also shows that the wave normal angle $\theta$, the absolute value of ellipticity $\epsilon$, the wave frequency $f$ normalized by the proton cyclotron frequency $f_{\mathrm{cp}}$, and the wave amplitude $\delta B$ normalized by the local background magnetic field $B_0$ slightly vary with the radial distance. The median values of $\theta$, $|\epsilon|$, $f$, and $\delta B$ are about $9^\circ$, $0.73$, $3f_{\mathrm{cp}}$, and $0.01B_0$, respectively. Furthermore, this study proposes that the wave mode nature of the observed left-handed and right-handed polarized waves corresponds to the Alfv\’en ion cyclotron mode wave and the fast-magnetosonic whistler mode wave, respectively.

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W. Liu, J. Zhao, T. Wang, et. al.
Tue, 16 May 23
31/83

Comments: Accepted for publication by The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)

On collective nature of nonlinear torsional Alfvén waves [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.07485


Torsional Alfv\’en waves in coronal plasma loops are usually considered to be non-collective, i.e. consist of cylindrical surfaces evolving independently, which significantly complicates their detection in observations. This non-collective nature, however, can get modified in the nonlinear regime. To address this question, the propagation of nonlinear torsional Alfv\’en waves in straight magnetic flux tubes has been investigated numerically using the astrophysical MHD code Athena++ and analytically, to support numerical results, using the perturbation theory up to the second order. Numerical results have revealed that there is radially uniform induced density perturbation whose uniformity does not depend on the radial structure of the mother Alfv\’en wave. Our analysis showed that the ponderomotive force leads to the induction of the radial and axial velocity perturbations, while the mechanism for the density perturbation is provided by a non-equal elasticity of a magnetic flux tube in the radial and axial directions. The latter can be qualitatively understood by the interplay between the Alfv\’en wave perturbations, external medium, and the flux tube boundary conditions. The amplitude of these nonlinearly induced density perturbations is found to be determined by the amplitude of the Alfv\’en driver squared and the plasma parameter $\beta$. The existence of the collective and radially uniform density perturbation accompanying nonlinear torsional Alfv\’en waves could be considered as an additional observational signature of Alfv\’en waves in the upper layers of the solar atmosphere.

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S. Belov, D. Riashchikov, D. Kolotkov, et. al.
Mon, 15 May 23
39/53

Comments: N/A

A well-balanced and exactly divergence-free staggered semi-implicit hybrid finite volume/finite element scheme for the incompressible MHD equations [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.06497


We present a new divergence-free and well-balanced hybrid FV/FE scheme for the incompressible viscous and resistive MHD equations on unstructured mixed-element meshes in 2 and 3 space dimensions. The equations are split into subsystems. The pressure is defined on the vertices of the primary mesh, while the velocity field and the normal components of the magnetic field are defined on an edge-based/face-based dual mesh in two and three space dimensions, respectively. This allows to account for the divergence-free conditions of the velocity field and of the magnetic field in a rather natural manner. The non-linear convective and the viscous terms are solved at the aid of an explicit FV scheme, while the magnetic field is evolved in a divergence-free manner via an explicit FV method based on a discrete form of the Stokes law in the edges/faces of each primary element. To achieve higher order of accuracy, a pw-linear polynomial is reconstructed for the magnetic field, which is guaranteed to be divergence-free via a constrained L2 projection. The pressure subsystem is solved implicitly at the aid of a classical continuous FE method in the vertices of the primary mesh. In order to maintain non-trivial stationary equilibrium solutions of the governing PDE system exactly, which are assumed to be known a priori, each step of the new algorithm takes the known equilibrium solution explicitly into account so that the method becomes exactly well-balanced. This paper includes a very thorough study of the lid-driven MHD cavity problem in the presence of different magnetic fields. We finally present long-time simulations of Soloviev equilibrium solutions in several simplified 3D tokamak configurations even on very coarse unstructured meshes that, in general, do not need to be aligned with the magnetic field lines.

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F. Fambri, E. Zampa, S. Busto, et. al.
Fri, 12 May 23
6/53

Comments: 57 pages, 33 figures, 13 tables, reference-data (supplementary electronic material) will be available after publication on the Journal web-page

Magnetic reconnection as an erosion mechanism for magnetic switchbacks [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.06035


Magnetic switchbacks are localised polarity reversals in the radial component of the heliospheric magnetic field. Observations from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) have shown that they are a prevalent feature of the near-Sun solar wind. However, observations of switchbacks at 1 au and beyond are less frequent, suggesting that these structures evolve and potentially erode through yet-to-be identified mechanisms as they propagate away from the Sun. We analyse magnetic field and plasma data from the Magnetometer and Solar Wind Analyser instruments aboard Solar Orbiter between 10 August and 30 August 2021. During this period, the spacecraft was 0.6 to 0.7 au from the Sun. We identify three instances of reconnection occurring at the trailing edge of magnetic switchbacks, with properties consistent with existing models describing reconnection in the solar wind. Using hodographs and Walen analysis methods, we test for rotational discontinuities (RDs) in the magnetic field and reconnection-associated outflows at the boundaries of the identified switchback structures. Based on these observations, we propose a scenario through which reconnection can erode a switchback and we estimate the timescales over which this occurs. For our events, the erosion timescales are much shorter than the expansion timescale and thus, the complete erosion of all three observed switchbacks would occur well before they reach 1 au. Furthermore, we find that the spatial scale of these switchbacks would be considerably larger than is typically observed in the inner heliosphere if the onset of reconnection occurs close to the Sun. Hence, our results suggest that the onset of reconnection must occur during transport in the solar wind in our cases. These results suggest that reconnection can contribute to the erosion of switchbacks and may explain the relative rarity of switchback observations at 1 au.

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G. Suen, C. Owen, D. Verscharen, et. al.
Thu, 11 May 23
21/55

Comments: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics 05/05/2023

On the onset delays of solar energetic electrons and protons: Evidence for a common accelerator [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.05347


The processes responsible for the acceleration of solar energetic particles (SEPs) are still not well understood, including whether SEP electrons and protons are accelerated by common or separate processes. Using a numerical particle transport model that includes both pitch-angle and perpendicular spatial diffusion, we simulate, amongst other quantities, the onset delay for MeV electrons and protons and compare the results to observations of SEPs from widely-separated spacecraft. Such observations have previously been interpreted, in a simple scenario assuming no perpendicular diffusion, as evidence for different electron and proton sources. We show that, by assuming a common particle source together with perpendicular diffusion, we are able to simultaneously reproduce the onset delays for both electrons and protons. We argue that this points towards a common accelerator for these particles. Moreover, a relatively broad particle source is required in the model to correctly describe the observations. This is suggestive of diffusive shock acceleration occurring at large shock structures playing a significant role in the acceleration of these SEPs.

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R. Strauss, N. Dresing, I. Richardson, et. al.
Wed, 10 May 23
63/65

Comments: Accepted to ApJ

Compressible Turbulence in the Near-Sun Solar Wind: Parker Solar Probe's First Eight Perihelia [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.03566


Many questions remain about the compressibility of solar wind turbulence with respect to its origins and properties. Low plasma beta (ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure) environments allow for the easier generation of compressible turbulence, enabling study of the relationship between density fluctuations and turbulent Mach number. Utilizing Parker Solar Probe plasma data, we examine the normalized proton density fluctuations $\langle \delta n_p^2 \rangle ^{1/2}/\langle n_p\rangle = \delta {n_p}{rms}/\langle n_p\rangle$ as a function of turbulent Mach number $M_t$ conditioned on plasma beta and cross helicity. With consideration of statistical error in the parameters computed from in-situ data, we find a general result that $\delta {n_p}{rms}/\langle n_p\rangle \sim M_t^{1.18 \pm 0.04}$, consistent with both linear-wave theory, and nearly-incompressible turbulence in an inhomogeneous background field. We compare observational results conditioned on plasma beta and cross helicity with 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations, and observe rather significant similarities with respect to how those parameters affect the proportionality between density fluctuations and turbulent Mach number. This study further investigates the complexity of compressible turbulence as viewed by the density scaling relationship, and may help better understand the compressible environment of the near-Sun solar wind.

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M. Cuesta, R. Chhiber, X. Fu, et. al.
Mon, 8 May 23
16/63

Comments: 8 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, submitted to ApJL

High-Energy Radiation and Ion Acceleration in Three-dimensional Relativistic Magnetic Reconnection with Strong Synchrotron Cooling [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02348


We present the results of 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations that explore relativistic magnetic reconnection in pair plasma with strong synchrotron cooling and a small mass fraction of non-radiating ions. Our results demonstrate that the structure of the current sheet is highly sensitive to the dynamic efficiency of radiative cooling. Specifically, stronger cooling leads to more significant compression of the plasma and magnetic field within the plasmoids. We demonstrate that ions can be efficiently accelerated to energies exceeding the plasma magnetization parameter, $\gg\sigma$, and form a hard power-law energy distribution, $f_i\propto \gamma^{-1}$. This conclusion implies a highly efficient proton acceleration in the magnetospheres of young pulsars. Conversely, the energies of pairs are limited to either $\sigma$ in the strong cooling regime or the radiation burnoff limit, $\gamma_{\rm syn}$, when cooling is weak. We find that the high-energy radiation from pairs above the synchrotron burnoff limit, $\varepsilon_c \approx 16$ MeV, is only efficiently produced in the strong cooling regime, $\gamma_{\rm syn} < \sigma$. In this regime, we find that the spectral cutoff scales as $\varepsilon_{\rm cut}\approx \varepsilon_c (\sigma/\gamma_{\rm syn})$, and the highest energy photons are beamed along the direction of the upstream magnetic field, consistent with the phenomenological models of gamma-ray emission from young pulsars. Furthermore, our results place constraints on the reconnection-driven models of gamma-ray flares in the Crab Nebula.

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A. Chernoglazov, H. Hakobyan and A. Philippov
Fri, 5 May 23
7/67

Comments: 24 pages, 18 figures, 1 table; Submitted to ApJ

Galactic cosmic ray transport in the absence of resonant scattering [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2305.02890


Galactic cosmic ray transport relies on the existence of turbulence on scales comparable with the gyration radius of the particles and with wavenumber vector oriented along the local magnetic field. In the standard picture, in which turbulence is injected at large scales and cascades down to smaller scales, it is all but guaranteed that turbulence on the relevant scales may be present, either because of anisotropic cascading or because of the onset of damping processes. This raises questions on the nature of cosmic-ray scattering, especially at energies $\gtrsim 1$ TeV, where self-generation is hardly relevant. Here, by means of numerical simulations of charged test-particles in a prescribed magnetic field, we investigate particle diffusion in a situation in which turbulence is mainly present at large scales, with the possible presence of a smaller power on small scales, and discuss possible implications of this setup for cosmic-ray transport phenomenology.

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O. Pezzi and P. Blasi
Fri, 5 May 23
23/67

Comments: 5 pages, submitted to MNRAS Letters

Magnetic Field Line Separation by Random Ballistic Decorrelation in Transverse Magnetic Turbulence [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.14067


The statistics of the magnetic field line separation provide insight into how a bundle of field lines spreads out and the dispersion of non-thermal particles in a turbulent environment, which underlies various astrophysical phenomena. Its diffusive character depends on the distance along the field line, the initial separation, and the characteristics of the magnetic turbulence. This work considers the separation of two magnetic field lines in general transverse turbulence in terms of the magnetic power spectrum in three-dimensional wavenumber space. We apply non-perturbative methods using Corrsin’s hypothesis and assume random ballistic decorrelation to calculate the ensemble average field line separation for general transverse magnetic turbulence. For 2D+slab power spectra, our analytic formulae and computer simulations give similar results, especially at low slab fraction. Our analytical expression also demonstrates several features of field line separation that are verified by computer simulations.

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C. Yannawa, P. Pongkitiwanichakul, D. Ruffolo, et. al.
Fri, 28 Apr 23
9/68

Comments: N/A

Local magneto-shear instability in Newtonian gravity [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13486


The magneto-rotational instability (MRI) – which is due to an interplay between a sheared background and the magnetic field – is commonly considered a key ingredient for developing and sustaining turbulence in the outer envelope of binary neutron star merger remnants. To assess whether (or not) the instability is active and resolved, criteria originally derived in the accretion disk literature – thus exploiting the symmetries of such systems – are often used. In this paper we discuss the magneto-shear instability as a truly local phenomenon, relaxing common symmetry assumptions on the background on top of which the instability grows. This makes the discussion well-suited for highly dynamical environments such as binary mergers. We find that – although this is somewhat hidden in the usual derivation of the MRI dispersion relation – the instability crucially depends on the assumed symmetries. Relaxing the symmetry assumptions on the background we find that the role of the magnetic field is significantly diminished, as it affects the modes’ growth but does not drive it. This suggests that we should not expect the standard instability criteria to provide a faithful indication/diagnostic of what “is actually going on” in mergers. We conclude by making contact with a suitable filtering operation, as this is key to separating background and fluctuations in highly dynamical systems.

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T. Celora, I. Hawke, N. Andersson, et. al.
Thu, 27 Apr 23
24/78

Comments: 15 pages, 1 figure

Cosmic ray transport in large-amplitude turbulence with small-scale field reversals [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.12335


The nature of cosmic ray (CR) transport in the Milky Way remains elusive. The predictions of current micro-physical models of CR transport in magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence are drastically different from what is observed. These models of transport usually focus on MHD turbulence in the presence of a strong guide field and ignore the impact of turbulent intermittency on particle propagation. This motivates our studying the alternative regime of large-amplitude turbulence with $\delta B/B_0 \gg 1$, in which intermittent small-scale magnetic field reversals are ubiquitous. We study particle transport in such turbulence by integrating trajectories in stationary snapshots. To quantify spatial diffusion, we use a setup with continuous particle injection and escape, which we term the turbulent leaky box. We find that particle transport is very different from the strong-guide-field case. Low-energy particles are better confined than high-energy particles, despite less efficient pitch-angle diffusion at small energies. In the limit of weak guide field, energy-dependent confinement is driven by the energy-dependent (in)ability to follow reversing magnetic field lines exactly and by the scattering in regions of “resonant curvature”, where the field line bends on a scale that is of order the local particle gyro-radius. We derive a heuristic model of particle transport in magnetic folds that approximately reproduces the energy dependence of transport found in the leaky-box experiments. We speculate that CR propagation in the Galaxy is regulated by the intermittent field reversals highlighted here and discuss the implications of our findings for the transport of CRs in the Milky Way.

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P. Kempski, D. Fielding, E. Quataert, et. al.
Wed, 26 Apr 23
25/62

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS, 15 pages, 9 Figures

The Magnetohydrodynamic-Particle-In-Cell Module in Athena++: Implementation and Code Tests [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.10568


We present a new magnetohydrodynamic-particle-in-cell (MHD-PIC) code integrated into the Athena++ framework. It treats energetic particles as in conventional PIC codes while the rest of thermal plasmas are treated as background fluid described by MHD, thus primarily targeting at multi-scale astrophysical problems involving the kinetic physics of the cosmic-rays (CRs). The code is optimized toward efficient vectorization in interpolation and particle deposits, with excellent parallel scaling. The code is also compatible with static/adaptive mesh refinement, with dynamic load balancing to further enhance multi-scale simulations. In addition, we have implemented a compressing/expanding box framework which allows adiabatic driving of CR pressure anisotropy, as well as the $\delta f$ method that can dramatically reduce Poisson noise in problems where distribution function $f$ is only expected to slightly deviate from the background. The code performance is demonstrated over a series of benchmark test problems including particle acceleration in non-relativistic parallel shocks. In particular, we reproduce the linear growth of the CR gyro-resonant (streaming and pressure anisotropy) instabilities, under both the periodic and expanding/compressing box setting. We anticipate the code to open up the avenue for a wide range of astrophysical and plasma physics applications.

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X. Sun and X. Bai
Mon, 24 Apr 23
18/41

Comments: 20 pages, 19 figures, submitted to MNRAS

Diffusion Coefficients of $^{56}$Fe in C-O and O-Ne White Dwarfs [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.07228


The diffusion coefficients of neutron rich nuclei in crystallizing white dwarf (WD) stars are essential microphysics input for modeling the evolution of the composition profile. Recently, molecular dynamics simulations have been used to compute diffusion coefficients for realistic mixtures of C-O and O-Ne WDs with many trace nuclides that could be important sedimentary heat sources such as $^{22}$Ne, $^{23}$Na, $^{25}$Mg, and $^{27}$Mg. In this brief note, I repeat these simulations but now include $^{56}$Fe. I find that for the large charge ratios involved in these mixtures the empirical law developed in our earlier work tends to under-predict diffusion coefficients in the moderately coupled regime by 30 to 40 percent. As this formalism is presently implemented in the stellar evolution code MESA, it is important for authors studying mixtures containing heavy nuclides like $^{56}$Fe to be aware of these systematics. However, the impact on astrophysics is expected to be small.

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M. Caplan
Mon, 17 Apr 23
6/51

Comments: 3 pages, 1 figure, submitted to RNAAS

The linear response of stellar systems does not diverge at marginal stability [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.07275


The linear response of a stellar system’s gravitational potential to a perturbing mass comprises two distinct contributions. Most famously, the system will respond by forming a polarization wake' around the perturber. At the same time, the perturber may also excite one or morenormal modes’, i.e. coherent oscillations of the entire stellar system which are either stable or unstable depending on the system parameters. The amplitude of the first (wake) contribution is known to diverge as a system approaches marginal stability. In this paper we consider the linear response of a homogeneous stellar system to a point mass moving on a straight line orbit. We prove analytically that the divergence of the wake response is in fact cancelled by a corresponding divergence in the normal mode response, rendering the total response finite. We demonstrate this cancellation explicitly for a box of stars with Maxwellian velocity distribution. Our results imply that polarization wakes may be much less efficient drivers of secular evolution than previously thought. More generally, any prior calculation that accounted for wakes but ignored modes may need to be revised.

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C. Hamilton and T. Heinemann
Mon, 17 Apr 23
15/51

Comments: 5 pages, 2 figures

Local models of two-temperature accretion disc coronae. I. Structure, outflows, and energetics [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.06067


We use local stratified shearing-box simulations to elucidate the impact of two-temperature thermodynamics on the thermal structure of coronae in radiatively efficient accretion flows. Rather than treating the coronal plasma as an isothermal fluid, we use a simple, parameterized cooling function that models the collisional transfer of energy from the ions to the rapidly cooling leptons. Two-temperature models naturally form temperature inversions, with a hot, magnetically dominated corona surrounding a cold disc. Simulations with net vertical flux (NF) magnetic fields launch powerful magnetocentrifugal winds that would enhance accretion in a global system. The outflow rates are much better converged with increasing box height than analogous isothermal simulations, suggesting that the winds into two-temperature coronae may be sufficiently strong to evaporate a thin disc and form a radiatively inefficient accretion flow under some conditions. We find evidence for multiphase structure in the corona, with broad density and temperature distributions, and we propose criteria for the formation of a multiphase corona. The fraction of cooling in the surface layers of the disc is substantially larger for NF fields compared to zero net-flux configurations, with moderate NF simulations radiating ${\gtrsim}30$ per cent of the flow’s total luminosity above two midplane scale-heights. Our work shows that NF fields may efficiently power the coronae of luminous Seyfert galaxies and quasars, providing compelling motivation for future studies of the heating mechanisms available to NF fields and the interplay of radiation with two-temperature thermodynamics.

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C. Bambic, E. Quataert and M. Kunz
Fri, 14 Apr 23
38/64

Comments: 20 pages, 11 figures, 1 table, 2 appendices, submitted to MNRAS

Chiral magnetohydrodynamics with zero total chirality [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.06612


We study the evolution of magnetic fields coupled with chiral fermion asymmetry in the framework of chiral magnetohydrodynamics with zero initial total chirality. The initial magnetic field has a turbulent spectrum peaking at a certain characteristic scale and is fully helical with positive helicity. The initial chiral chemical potential is spatially uniform and negative. We consider two opposite cases where the ratio of the length scale of the chiral plasma instability (CPI) to the characteristic scale of the turbulence is smaller and larger than unity. These initial conditions might be realized in cosmological models such as certain types of axion inflation. The magnetic field and chiral chemical potential evolve with inverse cascading in such a way that the magnetic helicity and chirality cancel each other at all times. The CPI time scale is found to determine mainly the time when the magnetic helicity spectrum attains negative values at high wave numbers. The turnover time of the energy-carrying eddies, on the other hand, determines the time when the peak of the spectrum starts to shift to smaller wave numbers via an inverse cascade. The onset of helicity decay is determined by the time when the chiral magnetic effect becomes efficient at the peak of the initial magnetic energy spectrum. When spin flipping is important, the chiral chemical potential vanishes and the magnetic helicity becomes constant, which leads to a faster increase of the correlation length, as expected from magnetic helicity conservation. This also happens when the initial total chirality is imbalanced. Our findings have important implications for baryogenesis after axion inflation.

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A. Brandenburg, K. Kamada, K. Mukaida, et. al.
Fri, 14 Apr 23
42/64

Comments: 21 pages, 20 figures, 4 tables

Diffusive Shock Acceleration of Cosmic Rays — Quasi-thermal and Non-thermal Particle Distributions [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.05168


A well-known paradigm about the origin of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) is that these high-energy particles are accelerated in the process of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) at collisionless shocks (at least up to the so-called “knee”energy of $10^{15}$ eV). Knowing the details of injection of electrons, protons and heavier nuclei into the DSA, their initial and the resulting spectrum, is extremely important in many “practical” applications of the CR astrophysics, e.g. in modelling of the gamma or synchrotron radio emission of astrophysical sources. In this contribution I we will give an overview of the DSA theory and the results of observations and kinetic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations that support the basic theoretical concepts. PIC simulations of quasi-parallel collisionless shocks show that thermal and supra-thermal proton distribution functions at the shock can be represented by a single quasi-thermal distribution – the $\kappa$-distribution that is commonly observed in out-of-equilibrium space plasmas. Farther downstream, index $\kappa$ increases and the low-energy spectrum tends to Maxwell distribution. On the other hand, higher-energy particles continue through the acceleration process and the non-thermal particle spectrum takes a characteristic power-law form predicted by the linear DSA theory. In the end, I will show what modification of the spectra is expected in the non-linear DSA, when CR back-reaction to the shock is taken into account.

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B. Arbutina
Wed, 12 Apr 23
29/45

Comments: 13 pages, 5 figures, 11th International Conference of the Balkan Physical Union (BPU11), 28 August – 1 September 2022, Belgrade, Serbia

The Effect of Flow and Magnetic Twist on Resonant Absorption of Slow MHD Waves in Magnetic Flux Tubes [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.04266


Observations show that there are twisted magnetic flux tubes and plasma flow throughout the solar atmosphere. The main purpose of this work is to obtain the damping rate of sausage modes in the presence of magnetic twist and plasma flow. We obtain the dispersion relation for sausage modes in slow continuity in an inhomogeneous layer under the conditions of magnetic pores, then we solve it numerically. For the selected density profile, the magnetic field, and the plasma flow as a function of radius across the inhomogeneous layer, we show that the effect of the twisted magnetic field on the resonance absorption at low speed of the plasma flow is greater than one at high speed.

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M. Sadeghi, K. Bahari and K. Karami
Tue, 11 Apr 23
32/63

Comments: N/A

Kinetic Simulations of the Filamentation Instability in Pair Plasmas [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.03577


The nonlinear interaction between electromagnetic waves and plasmas attracts significant attention in astrophysics because it can affect the propagation of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) — luminous millisecond-duration pulses detected at radio frequency. The filamentation instability (FI) — a type of nonlinear wave-plasma interaction — is considered to be dominant near FRB sources, and its nonlinear development may also affect the inferred dispersion measure of FRBs. In this paper, we carry out fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of the FI in unmagnetized pair plasmas. Our simulations show that the FI generates transverse density filaments, and that the electromagnetic wave propagates in near vacuum between them, as in a waveguide. The density filaments keep merging until force balance between the wave ponderomotive force and the plasma pressure gradient is established. We estimate the merging timescale and discuss the implications of filament merging for FRB observations.

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M. Iwamoto, E. Sobacchi and L. Sironi
Mon, 10 Apr 23
1/36

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS

Exact solution to the problem of slow oscillations in coronal loops and its diagnostic applications [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.03632


Magnetoacoustic oscillations are nowadays routinely observed in various regions of the solar corona. This allows them to be used as means of diagnosing plasma parameters and processes occurring in it. Plasma diagnostics, in turn, requires a sufficiently reliable MHD model to describe the wave evolution. In our paper, we focus on obtaining the exact analytical solution to the problem of the linear evolution of standing slow magnetoacoustic (MA) waves in coronal loops. Our consideration of the properties of slow waves is conducted using the infinite magnetic field assumption. The main contribution to the wave dynamics in this assumption comes from such processes as thermal conduction, unspecified coronal heating, and optically thin radiation cooling. In our consideration, the wave periods are assumed to be short enough so that the thermal misbalance has a weak effect on them. Thus, the main non-adiabatic process affecting the wave dynamics remains thermal conduction. The exact solution of the evolutionary equation is obtained using the Fourier method. This means that it is possible to trace the evolution of any harmonic of the initial perturbation, regardless of whether it belongs to entropy or slow mode. We show that the fraction of energy between entropy and slow mode is defined by the thermal conduction and coronal loop parameters. It is shown for which parameters of coronal loops it is reasonable to associate the full solution with a slow wave, and when it is necessary to take into account the entropy wave. Furthermore, we obtain the relationships for the phase shifts of various plasma parameters applicable to any values of harmonic number and thermal condition coefficient. In particular, it is shown that the phase shifts between density and temperature perturbations for the second harmonic of the slow wave vary between $\pi/2$ to 0, but are larger than for the fundamental harmonic.

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D. Zavershinskii, N. Molevich, D. Riashchikov, et. al.
Mon, 10 Apr 23
14/36

Comments: N/A

Non-thermal particle acceleration and power-law tails via relaxation to universal Lynden-Bell equilibria [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.03715


Collisionless and weakly collisional plasmas often exhibit non-thermal quasi-equilibria. Among these quasi-equilibria, distributions with power-law tails are ubiquitous. It is shown that the statistical-mechanical approach originally suggested by Lynden-Bell (1967) can easily recover such power-law tails. Moreover, we show that, despite the apparent diversity of Lynden-Bell equilibria, a generic form of the equilibrium distribution at high energies is a hard' power-law tail $\propto \varepsilon^{-2}$, where $\varepsilon$ is the particle energy. The shape of thecore’ of the distribution, located at low energies, retains some dependence on the initial condition but it is the tail (or `halo’) that contains most of the energy. Thus, a degree of universality exists in collisionless plasmas.

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R. Ewart, M. Nastac and A. Schekochihin
Mon, 10 Apr 23
23/36

Comments: 28 pages, 5 figures

Cosmic ray propagation in turbulent magnetic fields [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.02684


Propagation of cosmic rays (CRs) in turbulent and magnetized astrophysical media is a long-standing problem that requires both understanding of the properties of turbulent magnetic fields and their interaction with energetic particles. This review focuses on selected recent theoretical findings made based on the progress in understanding and simulating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. In particular, we address the problem of perpendicular and parallel propagation of CRs and identify the conditions when the perpendicular propagation is superdiffusive and diffusive. For the parallel diffusion, we discuss the problems of the traditionally used diffusion mechanism arising from pitch angle scattering and the possible solutions provided by the recently identified “mirror diffusion” in the presence of turbulent magnetic mirrors.

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A. Lazarian, S. Xu and Y. Hu
Fri, 7 Apr 23
8/50

Comments: 21 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences

Particle-in-cell simulations of electron-positron cyclotron maser forming pulsar radio zebras [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.03001


The microwave radio dynamic spectra of the Crab pulsar interpulse contain fine structures represented via narrow-band quasiharmonic stripes. This pattern significantly constrains any potential emission mechanism. Similarly to the zebra patterns observed in, for example, type IV solar radio bursts or decameter and kilometer Jupiter radio emission, the double plasma resonance (DPR) effect of the cyclotron maser instability may interpret observations. We present the first electromagnetic relativistic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the electron-positron cyclotron maser for cyclotron frequency smaller than the plasma frequency. In four distinct simulation cycles, we focused on the effects of varying plasma parameters on the instability growth rate and saturation energy. In contrast to the results obtained from electron-proton plasma simulations, we found that the pulsar electron-positron maser instability does not generate distinguishable X and Z modes. On the contrary, a singular electromagnetic XZ mode is generated close to or above the plasma frequency. Highest instability growth rates were obtained for the simulations with integer plasma-to-cyclotron frequency ratios. The instability is most efficient for plasma with characteristic loss-cone velocity in the range $v_\mathrm{th}=$ 0.2 – 0.3$c$. For low density ratios, the highest peak of the XZ mode is at the double frequency of the highest peak of the Bernstein modes, indicating that the radio emission is produced by a coalescence of two Bernstein modes with the same frequency and opposite wave numbers. Our estimate of the radiative flux generated from the simulation is up to $\sim$ 30 mJy from an area of 100 km$^2$ for an observer at 1 kpc distance without the inclusion of relativistic beaming effects, which may account for multiple orders of magnitude.

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M. Labaj, J. Benáček and M. Karlický
Fri, 7 Apr 23
31/50

Comments: 12 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, submitted to A&A

Impact of thermal misbalance on acoustic-gravity waves in the solar atmosphere [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.03227


The joint effect of gravity and thermal misbalance on the dynamics of acoustic-gravity waves (AGW) in the solar atmosphere is considered. It is shown that the heating and cooling taken in the form of power functions lead to the linear dependence of stationary temperature profile. Estimates of the ratio of the characteristic length associated with thermal processes to the gravitational height show a predominant influence of thermal processes in the temperature range up to 2 MK and a comparable influence on the dynamics of AGW in the range from 2 to 10 MK. A study of the dispersion properties of AGW in an isothermal atmosphere showed that in regimes with an overwhelming influence of thermal processes, the acoustic cut-off frequency decreases up to $\sqrt{\gamma}$ times. At the same time, the maximum frequency of the gravitational mode (analog of the Brunt-Vaisala frequency in the medium without non-adiabatic heating and cooling) decreases with increasing power of thermal processes, and then the gravitational mode can become purely oscillatory.

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D. Riashchikov, N. Molevich and D. Zavershinskii
Fri, 7 Apr 23
36/50

Comments: N/A

Pitch-angle diffusion through localized interactions with sharp magnetic field bends in MHD turbulence [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.03023


When a particle crosses a region of space where the curvature radius of the magnetic field line shrinks below the gyroradius $r_{\rm g}$, it experiences a non-adiabatic (magnetic moment violating) change in pitch-angle. The present paper carries that observation into MHD turbulence to examine the influence of intermittent, sharp bends of the magnetic field lines on particle transport. On the basis of dedicated measurements in a simulation of incompressible turbulence, it is argued that regions of sufficiently large curvature may exist in sufficient numbers on all scales to promote pitch-angle diffusion. The parallel mean free path predicted by the powerlaw statistics of the curvature strength scales as $\sim r_{\rm g}^{0.3}\,\ell_{\rm c}^{0.7}$ ($\ell_{\rm c}$ coherence scale of the turbulence), of direct interest to cosmic-ray phenomenology. Particle tracking in that numerical simulation confirms that the magnetic moment diffuses through localized, violent interactions, in agreement with the above picture. Correspondingly, the overall transport process is non-Brownian up to length scales $\gtrsim\ell_{\rm c}$.

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M. Lemoine
Fri, 7 Apr 23
50/50

Comments: 15 pages, 6 figures

Prediction of solar wind speed by applying convolutional neural network to potential field source surface (PFSS) magnetograms [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.01234


An accurate solar wind speed model is important for space weather predictions, catastrophic event warnings, and other issues concerning solar wind – magnetosphere interaction. In this work, we construct a model based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) magnetograms, considering a solar wind source surface of $R_{\rm SS}=2.5R_\odot$, aiming to predict the solar wind speed at the Lagrange 1 (L1) point of the Sun-Earth system. The input of our model consists of four Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) magnetograms at $R_{\rm SS}$, which are 7, 6, 5, and 4 days before the target epoch. Reduced magnetograms are used to promote the model’s efficiency. We use the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) photospheric magnetograms and the potential field extrapolation model to generate PFSS magnetograms at the source surface. The model provides predictions of the continuous test dataset with an averaged correlation coefficient (CC) of 0.52 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 80.8 km/s in an eight-fold validation training scheme with the time resolution of the data as small as one hour. The model also has the potential to forecast high speed streams of the solar wind, which can be quantified with a general threat score of 0.39.

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R. Lin, Z. Luo, J. He, et. al.
Wed, 5 Apr 23
39/62

Comments: N/A

On a Super-Complete Mathematical Model of Ambipolar Processes of Cumulation and Dissipation in Self-Focusing Structures in Plasma of Planetary Atmospheres in plasma with current [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.01231


4D mathematical models of structurally related (conjugated, entangled, dual) phenomena of dissipation and cumulation of electrical energy (an external source in continuous media) are discussed, accompanied by the formation of cumulative-dissipative structures and their ordering into a regular system – a dynamic dissipative “crystal” with a long-range dynamic order. The excitation of new degrees of freedom in such systems provides attractiveness or geometric self-focusing of energy-mass-momentum flows (EMMF) for the entire regular system. As a result of cumulation, EMMF structures acquire hyper-properties. The cumulation of EMMF in rendered structures is a common property of media activated to form 4D structures. The basis of such a dissipative structure is an attractor, the end result of which is a cumulative jet from an attractor with hyper-properties. Therefore, these structures are cumulative-dissipative. We discuss a method for describing these structures and prove that cumulative processes in plasmoids exist and can be described theoretically, although not with the help of full-fledged mathematical 4D models. It has been theoretically and experimentally proven that the cumulation of the electric field due to the ambipolar drift of the plasma is an inherent property of the current carrying gas-discharge plasma. The results obtained by modeling shock waves of the electric field (E/N) can be useful to explain the cumulative formation in the heliosphere, atmosphere and ionosphere of the Earth, since the Earth has a negative charge of about 500,000 C, and the Sun positively charged at the level of 1400 C. Based on the mathematical approach, a classification of shock waves and types of cumulation in 4D space-time will be carried out.

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P. Vysikaylo
Wed, 5 Apr 23
52/62

Comments: 5 pages, 4 figures, this https URL

Electrostatic Model for Antenna Signal Generation From Dust Impacts [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.00452


Dust impacts on spacecraft are commonly detected by antenna instruments as transient voltage perturbations. The signal waveform is generated by the interaction between the impact-generated plasma cloud and the elements of the antenna-spacecraft system. A general electrostatic model is presented that includes the two key elements of the interaction, namely the charge recollected from the impact plasma by the spacecraft and the fraction electrons and cations that escape to infinity. The clouds of escaping electrons and cations generate induced signals, and their vastly different escape speeds are responsible for the characteristic shape of the waveforms. The induced signals are modeled numerically for the geometry of the system and the location of the impact. The model employs a Maxwell capacitance matrix to keep track of the mutual interaction between the elements of the system. A new reduced-size model spacecraft is constructed for laboratory measurements using the dust accelerator facility. The model spacecraft is equipped with four antennas: two operating in a monopole mode, and one pair configured as a dipole. Submicron-sized iron dust particles accelerated to > 20 km/s are used for test measurements, where the waveforms of each antenna are recorded. The electrostatic model provides a remarkably good fit to the data using only a handful of physical fitting parameters, such as the escape speeds of electrons and cations. The presented general model provides the framework for analyzing antenna waveforms and is applicable for a range of space missions investigating the distribution of dust particles in relevant environments.

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M. Shen, Z. Sternovsky, A. Garzelli, et. al.
Tue, 4 Apr 23
60/111

Comments: Manuscript accepted online by JGR: Space Physics on 13 August 2021

Multi-thermal jet formation triggered by flux emergence [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.01043


Flux emergence is responsible for various solar eruptions. Combining observation and simulations, we investigate the influence of flux emergence at one footpoint of an arcade on coronal rain as well as induced eruptions. The emergence changes the pressure in the loops, and the internal coronal rain all moves to the other side. The emerging flux reconnects with the overlying magnetic field, forming a current sheet and magnetic islands. The plasma is ejected outwards and heated, forming a cool jet ~ 6000 K and a hot X-ray jet ~ 4 MK simultaneously. The jet dynamical properties agree very well between observation and simulation. In the simulation, the jet also displays transverse oscillations with a period of 8 minutes, a so-called whip-like motion. The movement of the jet and dense plasmoids changes the configuration of the local magnetic field, facilitating the occurrence of Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, and vortex-like structures form at the boundary of the jet. Our simulation clearly demonstrates the effect of emergence on coronal rain, the dynamical details of reconnecting plasmoid chains, the formation of multi-thermal jets, and the cycling of cool mass between the chromosphere and the corona.

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X. Li, R. Keppens and Y. Zhou
Tue, 4 Apr 23
102/111

Comments: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Laboratory Study of Antenna Signals Generated by Dust Impacts on Spacecraft [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.00453


Space missions often carry antenna instruments that are sensitive to dust impacts, however, the understanding of signal generation mechanisms remained incomplete. A signal generation model in an analytical form is presented that provides a good agreement with laboratory measurements. The model is based on the direct and induced charging of the spacecraft from the collected and escaping fraction of free charges from the impact-generated plasma cloud. A set of laboratory experiments is performed using a 20:1 scaled-down model of the Cassini spacecraft in a dust accelerator facility. The results show that impact plasmas can be modeled as a plume of ions streaming away from the impact location and a cloud of isotropically expanding electrons. The fitting of the model to the collected antenna waveforms provides some of the key parameters of the impact plasma. The model also shows that the amplitudes of the impact signals can be significantly reduced in typical space environments due to the discharging effects in the ambient plasma.

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M. Shen, Z. Sternovsky, M. Horányi, et. al.
Tue, 4 Apr 23
107/111

Comments: Manuscript accepted online by JGR: Space Physics on 05 April 2021

Variability of Antenna Signals From Dust Impacts [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2304.00454


Electric field instruments carried by spacecraft (SC) are complementary to dedicated dust detectors by registering transient voltage perturbations caused by impact-generated plasma. The signal waveform contains information about the interaction between the impact-generated plasma cloud and the elements of SC-antenna system. The variability of antenna signals from dust impacts has not yet been systematically characterized. A set of laboratory measurements are performed to characterize signal variations in response to SC parameters (bias voltage and antenna configuration) and impactor parameters (impact speed and composition). The measurements demonstrate that dipole antenna configurations are sensitive to dust impacts and that the detected signals vary with impact location. When dust impacts occur at low speeds, the antennas typically register smaller amplitudes and less characteristic impact signal shapes. In this case, impact event identification may be more challenging due to lower signal-to-noise ratios and/or more variable waveforms shapes, indicating the compound nature of nonfully developed impact-generated plasmas. To investigate possible variations in the impacting materials, the measurements are carried out using two dust samples with different mass densities: iron and aluminum. No significant variations of the measured waveform or plasma parameters obtained from data analysis are observed between the two materials used.

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M. Shen, Z. Sternovsky and D. Malaspina
Tue, 4 Apr 23
110/111

Comments: Manuscript accepted online by JGR: Space Physics on 22 March 2023

The saturation mechanism of thermal instability [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.18198


The nonlinear outcome of plasma instabilities range from a gentle reconfiguration of the initial state to an explosive one, and a non-disruptive outcome in between can nevertheless still be a route to turbulence. The literature on thermal instability (TI) reveals that even for a simple homogeneous plasma, all these possibilities can occur, depending on whether the condensations that form evolve in an isobaric or nonisobaric manner. Here we derive several general identities from the evolution equation for entropy that reveals the mechanism by which TI saturates: whenever the boundary of the instability region (the Balbus contour) is crossed, a dynamical change is triggered that causes the comoving time derivative of the pressure to change sign. This temporal event implies that the gas pressure force reverses direction, slowing the continued growth of the condensation. For isobaric evolution, this `pressure reversal’ occurs nearly simultaneously for every fluid element in the condensation and a steady state is quickly reached. For nonisobaric evolution, the condensation is no longer in mechanical equilibrium and the contracting gas rebounds with greater force during the expansion phase that accompanies gas reaching the equilibrium curve. The cloud then pulsates because the return to mechanical equilibrium becomes wave-mediated as a result of the pressure reversal occurring at different times for different locations in the cloud core. We show that both the contraction rebound event and the subsequent pulsation behavior follow analytically from an analysis of the new identities.

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T. Waters and D. Proga
Mon, 3 Apr 23
8/53

Comments: 19 pages, 2 figures. Submitted as a contribution to the research topic “Thermal Imbalance and Multiphase Plasmas Across Scales: From the Solar Corona to the Intracluster Medium”

Particle-In-Cell Simulations of Sunward and Anti-sunward Whistler Waves in the Solar Wind [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.18214


Spacecraft observations showed that electron heat conduction in the solar wind is probably regulated by whistler waves, whose origin and efficiency in electron heat flux suppression is actively investigated. In this paper, we present Particle-In-Cell simulations of a combined whistler heat flux and temperature anisotropy instability that can operate in the solar wind. The simulations are performed in a uniform plasma and initialized with core and halo electron populations typical of the solar wind. We demonstrate that the instability produces whistler waves propagating both along (anti-sunward) and opposite (sunward) to the electron heat flux. The saturated amplitudes of both sunward and anti-sunward whistler waves are strongly correlated with their {\it initial} linear growth rates, $B_{w}/B_0\sim (\gamma/\omega_{ce})^{\nu}$, where for typical electron betas we have $0.6\lesssim \nu\lesssim 0.9$. The correlations of whistler wave amplitudes and spectral widths with plasma parameters (electron beta and temperature anisotropy) revealed in the simulations are consistent with those observed in the solar wind. The efficiency of electron heat flux suppression is positively correlated with the saturated amplitude of sunward whistler waves. The electron heat flux can be suppressed by 10–60% provided that the saturated amplitude of sunward whistler waves exceeds about 1% of background magnetic field. Other experimental applications of the presented results are discussed.

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I. Kuzichev, I. Vasko, A. Artemyev, et. al.
Mon, 3 Apr 23
49/53

Comments: N/A

Quantum algorithm for collisionless Boltzmann simulation of self-gravitating systems [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.16490


The collisionless Boltzmann equation (CBE) is a fundamental equation that governs the dynamics of a broad range of astrophysical systems from space plasma to star clusters and galaxies. It is computationally expensive to integrate the CBE directly in a phase space, and thus the applications to realistic astrophysical problems have been limited so far. Recently, Todorova \& Steijl (2020) proposed an efficient quantum algorithm for solving the CBE with a significantly reduced computational complexity. We extend the method to perform quantum simulations that follow the evolution of self-gravitating systems. We first run a 1+1 dimensional test calculation of free streaming motion on 64$\times$64 grids using 13 simulated qubits and validate our method. We then perform simulations of Jeans collapse, and compare the result with analytic and linear theory calculations. We propose a direct method to generate initial conditions as well as a method to retrieve necessary information from a register of multiple qubits. Our simulation scheme achieves $\mathcal{O}(N_v^3)$ less computational complexity than the classical method, where $N_v$ is the number of discrete velocity grids per dimension. It will thus allow us to perform large-scale CBE simulations on future quantum computers.

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S. Yamazaki, F. Uchida, K. Fujisawa, et. al.
Thu, 30 Mar 23
39/66

Comments: 10 pages, 9figures

High-energy synchrotron flares powered by strongly radiative relativistic magnetic reconnection: 2D and 3D PIC simulations [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.16643


The time evolution of high-energy synchrotron radiation generated in a relativistic pair plasma energized by reconnection of strong magnetic fields is investigated with two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. The simulations in this 2D/3D comparison study are conducted with the radiative PIC code OSIRIS, which self-consistently accounts for the synchrotron radiation reaction on the emitting particles, and enables us to explore the effects of synchrotron cooling. Magnetic reconnection causes compression of the plasma and magnetic field deep inside magnetic islands (plasmoids), leading to an enhancement of the flaring emission, which may help explain some astrophysical gamma-ray flare observations. Although radiative cooling weakens the emission from plasmoid cores, it facilitates additional compression there, further amplifying the magnetic field $B$ and plasma density~$n$, and thus partially mitigating this effect. Novel simulation diagnostics utilizing 2D histograms in the $n\mbox{-}B$ space are developed and used to visualize and quantify the effects of compression. The $n\mbox{-}B$ histograms are observed to be bounded by relatively sharp power-law boundaries marking clear limits on compression. Theoretical explanations for some of these compression limits are developed, rooted in radiative resistivity or 3D kinking instabilities. Systematic parameter-space studies with respect to guide magnetic field, system size, and upstream magnetization are conducted and suggest that stronger compression, brighter high-energy radiation, and perhaps significant quantum electrodynamic (QED) effects such as pair production, may occur in environments with larger reconnection-region sizes and higher magnetization, particularly when magnetic field strengths approach the critical (Schwinger) field, as found in magnetar magnetospheres.

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K. Schoeffler, T. Grismayer, D. Uzdensky, et. al.
Thu, 30 Mar 23
55/66

Comments: 31 pages, 23 figures

Relative efficiency of three mechanisms of vector fields growth in a random media [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.14388


We consider a model of a random media with fixed and finite memory time with abrupt losses of memory (renovation model). Within the memory intervals we can observe either amplification or oscillation of the vector field in a given particle. The cumulative effect of amplifications in many subsequent intervals leads to amplification of the mean field and mean energy. Similarly, the cumulative effect of intermittent amplifications or oscillations also leads to amplification of the mean field and mean energy, however, at a lower rate. Finally, the random oscillations alone can resonate and yield the growth of the mean field and energy. These are the three mechanisms that we investigate and compute analytically and numerically the growth rates based on the Jacobi equation with the random curvature parameter.

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E. Illarionov and D. Sokoloff
Tue, 28 Mar 23
14/81

Comments: N/A

Numerical simulations of prominence oscillations triggered by external perturbations [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.15348


Several energetic disturbances have been identified as triggers of the large-amplitude oscillations (LAOs) in prominences. However, the mechanisms for LAOs excitation are not well understood. We aim to study these mechanisms, performing time-dependent numerical simulations in 2.5D and 2D setups using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code MANCHA3D. Two types of disturbances are applied to excite prominence oscillations, such as a perturbation associated with an eruption and the waves caused by an artificial energy release. In the simulation with the eruption, we obtain that it does not produce LAOs in the prominence located in its vicinity. While the erupting flux rope rises, an elongated current sheet forms behind it, which becomes unstable and breaks into plasmoids. The downward-moving plasmoids cause perturbations in the velocity field by merging with the post-reconnection loops. This velocity perturbation propagates in the surroundings and perturbs the nearby prominence. The analysis of the oscillatory motions of the prominence plasma reveals the excitation of small-amplitude oscillations (SAOs), which are a mixture of longitudinal and vertical oscillations. In the simulation with a distant artificial perturbation, a fast-mode shock wave is produced, and it gradually reaches two flux rope prominences at different distances. This shock wave excites vertical LAOs and longitudinal SAOs with similar amplitudes, periods, and damping times in both prominences. Finally, in the experiment with the external triggering of LAOs in a dipped arcade prominence model, we find that, although the vector normal to the front of a fast-mode shock wave is parallel to the spine of the dipped arcade well before the contact, this wave does not excite longitudinal LAOs. When the wave front approaches the prominence, it pushes the dense plasma down, establishing vertical LAOs.

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V. Liakh, M. Luna and E. Khomenko
Tue, 28 Mar 23
58/81

Comments: 18 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Formation and Evolution of Coherent Structures in 3D Strongly Turbulent Magnetized Plasmas [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.15351


We review the current literature on the formation of Coherent Structures (CoSs) in strongly turbulent 3D magnetized plasmas. CoSs (Current Sheets (CS), magnetic filaments, large amplitude magnetic disturbances, vortices, and shocklets) appear intermittently inside a turbulent plasma and are collectively the locus of magnetic energy transfer (dissipation) into particle kinetic energy, leading to heating and/or acceleration of the latter. CoSs and especially CSs are also evolving and fragmenting, becoming locally the source of new clusters of CoSs. Strong turbulence can be generated by the nonlinear coupling of large amplitude unstable plasma modes, by the explosive reorganization of large scale magnetic fields, or by the fragmentation of CoSs. A small fraction of CSs inside a strongly turbulent plasma will end up reconnecting. Magnetic Reconnection (MR) is one of the potential forms of energy dissipation of a turbulent plasma. Analysing the evolution of CSs and MR in isolation from the surrounding CoSs and plasma flows may be convenient for 2D numerical studies, but it is far from a realistic modeling of 3D astrophysical, space and laboratory environments, where strong turbulence can be exited, as e.g. in the solar wind, the solar atmosphere, solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), large scale space and astrophysical shocks, the magnetosheath, the magnetotail, astrophysical jets, Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) in confined laboratory plasmas (TOKAMAKS), etc.

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L. Vlahos and H. Isliker
Tue, 28 Mar 23
81/81

Comments: 27 pages, 31 figures; review; accepted for publication in Physics of Plasmas 2023

Unveiling the mechanism for the rapid acceleration phase in a solar eruption [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.14050


Two major mechanisms have been proposed to drive the solar eruptions: the ideal magnetohydrodynamic instability and the resistive magnetic reconnection. Due to the close coupling and synchronicity of the two mechanisms, it is difficult to identify their respective contribution to solar eruptions, especially to the critical rapid acceleration phase. Here, to shed light on this problem, we conduct a data-driven numerical simulation for the flux rope eruption on 2011 August 4, and quantify the contributions of the upward exhaust of the magnetic reconnection along the flaring current sheet and the work done by the large-scale Lorentz force acting on the flux rope. Major simulation results of the eruption, such as the macroscopic morphology, early kinematics of the flux rope and flare ribbons, match well with the observations. We estimate the energy converted from the magnetic slingshot above the current sheet and the large-scale Lorentz force exerting on the flux rope during the rapid acceleration phase, and find that (1) the work done by the large-scale Lorentz force is about 4.6 times higher than the former, and (2) decreased strapping force generated by the overlying field facilitates the eruption. These results indicate that the large-scale Lorentz force plays a dominant role in the rapid acceleration phase for this eruption.

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Z. Zhong, Y. Guo, T. Wiegelmann, et. al.
Mon, 27 Mar 23
8/59

Comments: 12 pages, 5 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJL

Resonant instabilities mediated by drag and electrostatic interactions in laboratory and astrophysical dusty plasmas [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.13640


Dusty plasmas are known to support a diverse range of instabilities, including both generalizations of standard plasma instabilities and ones caused by effects specific to dusty systems. It has been recently demonstrated that a novel broad class of streaming instabilities, termed resonant drag instabilities (RDIs), can be attributed to a particular resonance phenomenon caused by defective eigenvalues of the linearized dust/fluid system. In this work, it is demonstrated that this resonance phenomenon is not unique to RDIs and can be used as a framework to understand a wider range of instabilities, termed resonant instabilities. Particular attention is given to the filamentary ionization instability seen in laboratory dusty plasmas and to the two-stream instability. It is shown that, due to the commonalities in underlying physics between the dust-ion-acoustic two-stream instability and the acoustic RDI, these instabilities should be relevant in strongly overlapping regimes in astrophysical dusty plasmas. It is proposed that a similar overlap in the experimental accessibility of these modes (and of the filamentary instability) allows for the possibility of experimental investigation of complex and astrophysically relevant instability dynamics.

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B. Israeli, A. Bhattacharjee and H. Qin
Mon, 27 Mar 23
39/59

Comments: 18 pages, 15 figures

Diffuse solar coronal features and their spicular footpoints [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.13161


In addition to a component of the emission that originates from clearly distinguishable coronal loops, the solar corona also exhibits extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray ambient emission that is rather diffuse and is often considered undesirable background. Importantly, unlike the generally more structured transition region and chromosphere, the diffuse corona appears to be rather featureless. The magnetic nature of the diffuse corona, and in particular, its footpoints in the lower atmosphere, are not well understood. We study the origin of the diffuse corona above the quiet-Sun network on supergranular scales. We identified regions of diffuse EUV emission in the coronal images from the SDO/AIA. To investigate their connection to the lower atmosphere, we combined these SDO/AIA data with the transition region spectroscopic data from the IRIS and with the underlying surface magnetic field information from the SDO/HMI. The region of the diffuse emission is of supergranular size and persists for more than five hours, during which it shows no obvious substructure. It is associated with plasma at about 1 MK that is located within and above a magnetic canopy. The canopy is formed by unipolar magnetic footpoints that show highly structured spicule-like emission in the overlying transition region. Our results suggest that the diffuse EUV emission patch forms at the base of long-ranging loops, and it overlies spicular structures in the transition region. Heated material might be supplied to it by means of spicular upflows, conduction-driven upflows from coronal heating events, or perhaps by flows originating from the farther footpoint. Therefore, the question remains open how the diffuse EUV patch might be sustained. Nevertheless, our study indicates that heated plasma trapped by long-ranging magnetic loops might substantially contribute to the featureless ambient coronal emission.

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N. Milanović, L. Chitta and H. Peter
Fri, 24 Mar 23
43/56

Comments: Article accepted for publication in A&A. Movie available at this https URL

Extreme ion acceleration at extragalactic jet termination shocks [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.12636


Extragalactic plasma jets are some of the few astrophysical environments able to confine ultra-high energy cosmic rays, but whether they are capable of accelerating these particles is unknown. In this work, we revisit particle acceleration at relativistic magnetized shocks beyond the local uniform field approximation, by considering the global transverse structure of the jet. Using large two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of a relativistic electron-ion plasma jet, we show that the termination shock forming at the interface with the ambient medium accelerates particles up to the confinement limit. The radial structure of the jet magnetic field leads to a relativistic velocity shear that excites a von K\’arm\’an vortex street in the downstream medium trailing behind an over-pressured bubble filled with cosmic rays. Particles are efficiently accelerated at each crossing of the shear flow boundary layers. These findings support that extragalactic plasma jets may be capable of producing ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This extreme particle acceleration mechanism may also apply to microquasar jets.

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B. Cerutti and G. Giacinti
Thu, 23 Mar 23
2/67

Comments: 6 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysics

Particle acceleration at magnetized, relativistic turbulent shock fronts [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.11394


The efficiency of particle acceleration at shock waves in relativistic, magnetized astrophysical outflows is a debated topic with far-reaching implications. Here, for the first time, we study the impact of turbulence in the pre-shock plasma. Our simulations demonstrate that, for a mildly relativistic, magnetized pair shock (Lorentz factor $\gamma_{\rm sh} \simeq 2.7$, magnetization level $\sigma \simeq 0.01$), strong turbulence can revive particle acceleration in a superluminal configuration that otherwise prohibits it. Depending on the initial plasma temperature and magnetization, stochastic-shock-drift or diffusive-type acceleration governs particle energization, producing powerlaw spectra $\mathrm{d}N/\mathrm{d}\gamma \propto \gamma^{-s}$ with $s \sim 2.5-3.5$. At larger magnetization levels, stochastic acceleration within the pre-shock turbulence becomes competitive and can even take over shock acceleration.

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V. Bresci, M. Lemoine and L. Gremillet
Wed, 22 Mar 23
40/68

Comments: N/A

Nonlinear Damping and Field-aligned Flows of Propagating Shear Alfvén Waves with Braginskii Viscosity [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.11128


Braginskii MHD provides a more accurate description of many plasma environments than classical MHD since it actively treats the stress tensor using a closure derived from physical principles. Stress tensor effects nonetheless remain relatively unexplored for solar MHD phenomena, especially in nonlinear regimes. This paper analytically examines nonlinear damping and longitudinal flows of propagating shear Alfv\’en waves. Most previous studies of MHD waves in Braginskii MHD considered the strict linear limit of vanishing wave perturbations. We show that those former linear results only apply to Alfv\’en wave amplitudes in the corona that are so small as to be of little interest, typically a wave energy less than $10^{-11}$ times the energy of the background magnetic field. For observed wave amplitudes, the Braginskii viscous dissipation of coronal Alfv\’en waves is nonlinear and a factor around $10^9$ stronger than predicted by the linear theory. Furthermore, the dominant damping occurs through the parallel viscosity coefficient $\eta_0$, rather than the perpendicular viscosity coefficient $\eta_2$ in the linearized solution. This paper develops the nonlinear theory, showing that the wave energy density decays with an envelope $(1+z/L_d)^{-1}$. The damping length $L_d$ exhibits an optimal damping solution, beyond which greater viscosity leads to lower dissipation as the viscous forces self-organise the longitudinal flow to suppress damping. Although the nonlinear damping greatly exceeds the linear damping, it remains negligible for many coronal applications.

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A. Russell
Tue, 21 Mar 23
29/68

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ

Scaling anisotropy with stationary background field in the near-Sun solar wind turbulence [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10810


The scaling of magnetic fluctuations provides crucial information for the understanding of solar wind turbulence. However, the observed magnetic fluctuations contain not only turbulence but also magnetic structures, leading to the violation of the time stationarity. This violation would conceal the true scaling and influence the determination of the sampling angle with respect to the local background magnetic field. Here, to investigate the scaling anisotropy, we utilize an easy but effective criterion $\phi<10^\circ$ to ensure the time stationarity of the magnetic field, where $\phi$ is the angle between the two averaged magnetic fields after cutting the interval into two halves. We study the scaling anisotropy using higher-order statistics of structure functions under the condition of stationarity for the near-Sun solar wind turbulence for the first time based on measurements obtained from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) at 0.17 au. We find that the scaling indices $\xi$ of magnetic field show a linear dependence on the order $p$ close to $\xi(p)=p/4$. The multifractal scaling of magnetic-trace structure functions becomes monoscaling close to $\xi(p)=p/3$ with the local magnetic field perpendicular to the sampling direction and close to $\xi(p)=p/4$ with the local magnetic field parallel to the sampling direction when measured with the stationary background magnetic field. The scaling of velocity-trace structure functions has similar but less significant changes. The near-Sun solar wind turbulence displays different scaling anisotropies with the near-Earth solar wind turbulence, suggesting the evolution of the nonlinear interaction process during the solar wind expansion.

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H. Wu, J. He, S. Huang, et. al.
Tue, 21 Mar 23
56/68

Comments: 15 pages, 5 figures, accepted by ApJ

The effect of variations in magnetic field direction from turbulence on kinetic-scale instabilities [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.09588


At kinetic scales in the solar wind, instabilities transfer energy from particles to fluctuations in the electromagnetic fields while restoring plasma conditions towards thermodynamic equilibrium. We investigate the interplay between background turbulent fluctuations at the small-scale end of the inertial range and kinetic instabilities acting to reduce proton temperature anisotropy. We analyse in-situ solar wind observations from the Solar Orbiter mission to develop a measure for variability in the magnetic field direction. We find that non-equilibrium conditions sufficient to cause micro-instabilities in the plasma coincide with elevated levels of variability. We show that our measure for the fluctuations in the magnetic field is non-ergodic in regions unstable to the growth of temperature anisotropy-driven instabilities. We conclude that the competition between the action of the turbulence and the instabilities plays a significant role in the regulation of the proton-scale energetics of the solar wind. This competition depends not only on the variability of the magnetic field but also on the spatial persistence of the plasma in non-equilibrium conditions.

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S. Opie, D. Verscharen, C. Chen, et. al.
Mon, 20 Mar 23
43/51

Comments: To be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics

M$^5$ — Mars Magnetospheric Multipoint Measurement Mission: A multi-spacecraft plasma physics mission to Mars [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.09502


Mars, lacking an intrinsic dynamo, is an ideal laboratory to comparatively study induced magnetospheres, which can be found in other terrestrial bodies as well as comets. Additionally, Mars is of particular interest to further exploration due to its loss of habitability by atmospheric escape and possible future human exploration. In this context, we propose the Mars Magnetospheric Multipoint Measurement Mission (M$^5$), a multi-spacecraft mission to study the dynamics and energy transport of the Martian induced magnetosphere comprehensively. Particular focus is dedicated to the largely unexplored magnetotail region, where signatures of magnetic reconnection have been found. Furthermore, a reliable knowledge of the upstream solar wind conditions is needed to study the dynamics of the Martian magnetosphere, especially the different dayside boundary regions but also for energy transport phenomena like the current system and plasma waves. This will aid the study of atmospheric escape processes of planets with induced magnetospheres. In order to resolve the three-dimensional structures varying both in time and space, multi-point measurements are required. Thus, M$^5$ is a five spacecraft mission, with one solar wind monitor orbiting Mars in a circular orbit at 5 Martian radii, and four smaller spacecraft in a tetrahedral configuration orbiting Mars in an elliptical orbit, spanning the far magnetotail up to 6 Mars radii with a periapsis within the Martian magnetosphere of 1.8 Mars radii. We not only present a detailed assessment of the scientific need for such a mission but also show the resulting mission and spacecraft design taking into account all aspects of the mission requirements and constraints such as mass, power, and link budgets. This mission concept was developed during the Alpbach Summer School 2022.

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C. Larkin, V. Lundén, L. Schulz, et. al.
Fri, 17 Mar 23
44/67

Comments: 16 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to Advances in Space Research

Plasma broadening of autoionizing resonances [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.07734


A general formulation is developed to demonstrate that atomic autoionizing (AI) resonances are broadened and shifted significantly due to plasma effects across bound-free continua. The theoretical and computational method presented accounts for broadening mechanisms: electron collisional, ion microfields (Stark), thermal Doppler, core excitations, and free-free transitions. {\it Extrinsic} plasma broadening redistributes and shifts AI resonance strengths while broadly preserving naturally {\it intrinsic} asymmetries of resonance profiles. Integrated oscillator strengths are conserved as resonance structures dissolve into continua with increasing electron density. As exemplar, the plasma attenuation of photoionization cross sections computed using the R-matrix method is studied in neon-like Fe~XVII in a critical range $N_e = 10^{21-24}$cc along isotherms $T = 1-2 \times 10^6$K, and its impact on Rosseland Mean opacities. The energy-temperature-density dependent cross sections would elicit and introduce physical features in resonant processes in photoionization, \eion excitation and recombination. The method should be generally applicable to atomic species in high-energy-density (HED) sources such as fusion plasmas and stellar interiors.

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A. Pradhan
Fri, 20 Jan 23
62/72

Comments: 5 pages, 3 figures

SFQEDtoolkit: a high-performance library for the accurate modeling of strong-field QED processes in PIC and Monte Carlo codes [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.07684


Strong-field QED (SFQED) processes are central in determining the dynamics of particles and plasmas in extreme electromagnetic fields such as those present in the vicinity of compact astrophysical objects or generated with ultraintense lasers. SFQEDtoolkit is an open source library designed to allow users for a straightforward implementation of SFQED processes in existing particle-in-cell (PIC) and Monte Carlo codes. Through advanced function approximation techniques, high-energy photon emission and electron-positron pair creation probability rates and energy distributions are calculated within the locally-constant-field approximation (LCFA) as well as with more advanced models [Phys. Rev. A 99, 022125 (2019)]. SFQEDtoolkit is designed to provide users with high-performance and high-accuracy, and neat examples showing its usage are provided. In the near future, SFQEDtoolkit will be enriched to model the angular distribution of the generated particles, i.e., beyond the commonly employed collinear emission approximation, as well as to model spin and polarization dependent SFQED processes. Notably, the generality and flexibility of the presented function approximation approach makes it suitable to be employed in other areas of physics, chemistry and computer science.

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S. Montefiori and M. Tamburini
Thu, 19 Jan 23
52/100

Comments: 31 pages, 7 figures. Repository with the associated open-source code available on github this https URL

A Unified Model for Bipolar Outflows from Young Stars: Kinematic Signatures of Jets, Winds, and Their Magnetic Interplay with the Ambient Toroids [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.07447


Kinematic signatures of the jet, winds, multicavities, and episodic shells arising in the unified model of bipolar outflows developed in Shang et al.\ (2020), in which an outflow forms by radially directed, wide-angle toroidally magnetized winds interacting with magnetized isothermal toroids, are extracted in the form of position–velocity diagrams. Elongated outflow lobes, driven by magnetized winds and their interplay with the environment, are dominated by extended bubble structures with mixing layers beyond the conventional thin-shell models. The axial cylindrically stratified density jet carries a broad profile near the base, across the projected velocity of the wide-angle wind, and narrows down along the axis with the collimated flow. The reverse shock encloses the magnetized free wind, forms an innermost cavity, and deflects the flow pattern. Shear, Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities, and pseudopulses add fine and distinctive features between the jet–shell components, and the fluctuating jet velocities. The broad webbed velocity features connect the extremely high and the low velocities across the multicavities, mimicking nested outflowing slower-wind components. Rings and ovals in the perpendicular cuts trace multicavities at different heights, and the compressed ambient gap regions enrich the low-velocity features with protruding spikes. Our kinematic signatures capture the observed systematics of the high-, intermediate-, and low-velocity components from Class 0 to II jet–outflow systems in molecular and atomic lines. The nested shells observed in HH 212, HH 30, and DG Tau B are naturally explained. Outflows as bubbles are ubiquitous and form an inevitable integrative outcome of the interaction between wind and ambient media.

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H. Shang, C. Liu, R. Krasnopolsky, et. al.
Thu, 19 Jan 23
92/100

Comments: 66 pages, 26 figures, 3 tables, to appear in the Astrophysical Journal (2023)

On the Generation and Evolution of Switchbacks and the Morphology of Alfvénic Transition: Low Mach-number Boundary Layers [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.05829


We investigate the generation and evolution of switchbacks (SBs), the nature of the sub-Alfv\’enic wind observed by Parker Solar Probe (PSP), and the morphology of the Alfv\’enic transition, all of which are key issues in solar wind research. First we highlight a special structure in the pristine solar wind, termed a low Mach-number boundary layer (LMBL). An increased Alfv\’en radius and suppressed SBs are observed within an LMBL. A probable source on the Sun for an LMBL is the peripheral region inside a coronal hole with rapidly diverging open fields. The sub-Alfv\’enic wind detected by PSP is an LMBL flow by nature. The similar origin and similar properties of the sub-Alfv\’enic intervals favor a wrinkled surface for the morphology of the Alfv\’enic transition. We find that a larger deflection angle tends to be associated with a higher Alfv\’en Mach number. The magnetic deflections have an origin well below the Alfv\’en critical point, and deflection angles larger than $90^{\circ}$ seem to occur only when $M_{\rm A} \gtrsim 2$. The velocity enhancement in units of the local Alfv\’en speed generally increases with the deflection angle, which is explained by a simple model. A nonlinearly evolved, saturated state is revealed for SBs, where the local Alfv\’en speed is roughly an upper bound for the velocity enhancement. In the context of these results, the most promising theory on the origin of SBs is the model of expanding waves and turbulence, and the patchy distribution of SBs is attributed to modulation by reductions in the Alfv\’en Mach number. Finally, a picture on the generation and evolution of SBs is created based on the results.

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Y. Liu, H. Ran, H. Hu, et. al.
Wed, 18 Jan 23
78/133

Comments: 29 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Satellite observations of the Alfvénic Transition from Weak to Strong Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.06709


Plasma turbulence is a ubiquitous dynamical process that transfers energy across many spatial and temporal scales in astrophysical and space plasma systems. Although the theory of anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence has successfully described phenomena in nature, its core prediction of an Alfvenic transition from weak to strong MHD turbulence when energy cascades from large to small scales has not been observationally confirmed. Here we report the first observational evidence for the Alfvenic weak-to-strong transition in MHD turbulence in the terrestrial magnetosheath using the four Cluster spacecraft. The observed transition indicates the universal existence of strong turbulence regardless of the initial level of MHD fluctuations. Moreover, the observations demonstrate that the nonlinear interactions of MHD turbulence play a crucial role in the energy cascade, widening the directions of the energy cascade and broadening the fluctuating frequencies. Our work takes a critical step toward understanding the complete picture of turbulence cascade, connecting the weak and strong MHD turbulence systems. It will have broad implications in star formation, energetic particle transport, turbulent dynamo, and solar corona or solar wind heating.

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S. Zhao, H. Yan, T. Liu, et. al.
Wed, 18 Jan 23
93/133

Comments: submitted; 24 pages; 4 figures

Lagrangian statistics of a shock-driven turbulent dynamo in decaying turbulence [GA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.06033


Small-scale fluctuating magnetic fields of order $n$G to $\mu$G are observed in supernova shocks and galaxy clusters, where amplifications of the field are likely caused by the Biermann battery mechanism. However, these fields cannot be amplified further without the turbulent dynamo, which generates magnetic energy through the stretch-twist-fold (STF) mechanism. Thus, we present here novel three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of a laser-driven shock propagating into a stratified, multiphase medium, to investigate the post-shock turbulent magnetic field amplification via the turbulent dynamo. The configuration used here is currently being tested in the shock tunnel at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). In order to probe the statistical properties of the post-shock turbulent region, we use $384 \times 512 \times 384$ tracer trajectories to track its evolution through the Lagrangian framework, thus providing a high-fidelity analysis of the shocked medium. Our simulations indicate that the growth of the magnetic field, which accompanies the near-Saffman power-law kinetic energy decay ($E_{\textrm{kin}} \propto t^{-1.15})$ in the absence of turbulence driving, exhibits slightly different characteristics as compared to periodic box simulations. Seemingly no distinct phases exist in its evolution, because the shock passage and time to observe the magnetic field amplification during the turbulence decay are very short, with only $\sim0.3$ of a turbulent turnover time. Yet, the growth rates are still consistent with those expected for compressive (curl-free) turbulence driving in subsonic, compressible turbulence. Phenomenological understanding of the dynamics of the magnetic and velocity fields are also elucidated via Lagrangian frequency spectra, which are consistent with the expected inertial range scalings via the Eulerian-Lagrangian bridge.

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J. Hew and C. Federrath
Wed, 18 Jan 23
107/133

Comments: 14 pages, 19 figures. Submitted to MNRAS. Comments are welcome

Interpretation of flat energy spectra upstream of fast interplanetary shocks [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.05454


Interplanetary shocks are large-scale heliospheric structures often caused by eruptive phenomena at the Sun, and represent one of the main sources of energetic particles. Several interplanetary shock crossings by spacecraft at $1$ AU have revealed enhanced energetic-ion fluxes that extend far upstream of the shock. Surprisingly, in some shock events, ion fluxes with energies between $100$ keV and about $2$ MeV acquire similar values (which we refer to as “overlapped” fluxes), corresponding to flat energy spectra in that range. In contrast, closer to the shock, the fluxes are observed to depend on energy. In this work, we analyze three interplanetary shock-related energetic particle events observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft where flat ion energy spectra were observed upstream of the shock. We interpret these observations via a velocity filter mechanism for particles in a given energy range. This reveals that low energy particles tend to be confined to the shock front and cannot easily propagate upstream, while high energy particles can. The velocity filter mechanism has been corroborated from observations of particle flux anisotropy by the Solid-State Telescope of Wind/3DP.

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S. Perri, G. Prete, G. Zimbardo, et. al.
Mon, 16 Jan 23
27/50

Comments: N/A

Interpretation of flat energy spectra upstream of fast interplanetary shocks [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.05454


Interplanetary shocks are large-scale heliospheric structures often caused by eruptive phenomena at the Sun, and represent one of the main sources of energetic particles. Several interplanetary shock crossings by spacecraft at $1$ AU have revealed enhanced energetic-ion fluxes that extend far upstream of the shock. Surprisingly, in some shock events, ion fluxes with energies between $100$ keV and about $2$ MeV acquire similar values (which we refer to as “overlapped” fluxes), corresponding to flat energy spectra in that range. In contrast, closer to the shock, the fluxes are observed to depend on energy. In this work, we analyze three interplanetary shock-related energetic particle events observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft where flat ion energy spectra were observed upstream of the shock. We interpret these observations via a velocity filter mechanism for particles in a given energy range. This reveals that low energy particles tend to be confined to the shock front and cannot easily propagate upstream, while high energy particles can. The velocity filter mechanism has been corroborated from observations of particle flux anisotropy by the Solid-State Telescope of Wind/3DP.

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S. Perri, G. Prete, G. Zimbardo, et. al.
Mon, 16 Jan 23
29/50

Comments: N/A

Closed field line vortices in planetary magnetospheres [EPA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04930


In a rotation-dominated magnetosphere, there is a region where closed field lines rotate around the planet, and also a region where the open field lines stretch away from the planet, forming the lobes of the magnetotail. This paper shows that there could be a third, significantly different region, where the closed field lines form twisted vortex structures anchored in the magnetotail. Such patterns form when there are significant plasma sources inside the magnetosphere and the time scale of the plasmoid formation process is substantially larger than the planetary rotation period. In the presence of vortices, the Dungey and Vasyliunas cycles act differently. The Dungey flow does not penetrate the central region of the polar cap. Tail reconnection events are rare, thus leaving the plasma time enough to participate in the essentially 3-dimensional vortex-forming plasma motion. The above conditions are fulfilled for Saturn. We discovered vortex-like patterns in the plasma and magnetic field data measured by the Cassini spacecraft in the nightside magnetosphere of Saturn. The plasma whirling around in these vortices never reaches the dayside, instead, it performs a retrograde motion in the high latitude regions of the magnetotail. Low-energy plasma data suggest that the observed patterns correspond to the closed field line vortices.

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Z. Nemeth
Fri, 13 Jan 23
53/72

Comments: to be published in MNRAS

Coupling multi-fluid dynamics equipped with Landau closures to the particle-in-cell method [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04679


The particle-in-cell (PIC) method is successfully used to study magnetized plasmas. However, this requires large computational costs and limits simulations to short physical run-times and often to setups in less than three spatial dimensions. Traditionally, this is circumvented either via hybrid-PIC methods (adopting massless electrons) or via magneto-hydrodynamic-PIC methods (modelling the background plasma as a single charge-neutral magneto-hydrodynamical fluid). Because both methods preclude modelling important plasma-kinetic effects, we introduce a new fluid-PIC code that couples a fully explicit and charge-conservative multi-fluid solver to the PIC code SHARP through a current-coupling scheme and solve the full set of Maxwell’s equations. This avoids simplifications typically adopted for Ohm’s Law and enables us to fully resolve the electron temporal and spatial scales while retaining the versatility of initializing any number of ion, electron, or neutral species with arbitrary velocity distributions. The fluid solver includes closures emulating Landau damping so that we can account for this important kinetic process in our fluid species. Our fluid-PIC code is second-order accurate in space and time. The code is successfully validated against several test problems, including the stability and accuracy of shocks and the dispersion relation and damping rates of waves in unmagnetized and magnetized plasmas. It also matches growth rates and saturation levels of the gyro-scale and intermediate-scale instabilities driven by drifting charged particles in magnetized thermal background plasmas in comparison to linear theory and PIC simulations. This new fluid-SHARP code is specially designed for studying high-energy cosmic rays interacting with thermal plasmas over macroscopic timescales.

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R. Lemmerz, M. Shalaby, T. Thomas, et. al.
Fri, 13 Jan 23
67/72

Comments: 17 pages, 11 figures, submitted to MNRAS. Comments are welcome

Coronal Loop Heating by Nearly Incompressible Magnetohydrodynamic and Reduced Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence Models [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04319


The transport of waves and turbulence beyond the photosphere is central to the coronal heating problem. Turbulence in the quiet solar corona has been modeled on the basis of the nearly incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (NI MHD) theory to describe the transport of low-frequency turbulence in open magnetic field regions. It describes the evolution of the coupled majority quasi-2D and minority slab component, driven by the magnetic carpet and advected by a subsonic, sub-Alfvenic flow from the lower corona. In this paper, we couple the NI MHD turbulence transport model with an MHD model of the solar corona to study the heating problem in a coronal loop. In a realistic benchmark coronal loop problem, we find that a loop can be heated to ~1.5 million K by transport and dissipation of MHD turbulence described by the NI MHD model. We also find that the majority 2D component is as important as the minority slab component in the heating of the coronal loop. We compare our coupled MHD/NI MHD model results with a reduced MHD (RMHD) model. An important distinction between these models is that RMHD solves for small-scale velocity and magnetic field fluctuations and obtains the actual viscous/resistive dissipation associated with their evolution whereas NI MHD evolves scalar moments of the fluctuating velocity and magnetic fields and approximates dissipation using an MHD turbulence phenomenology. Despite the basic differences between the models, their simulation results match remarkably well, yielding almost identical heating rates inside the corona.

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M. Yalim, G. Zank and M. Asgari-Targhi
Thu, 12 Jan 23
9/68

Comments: 23 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, The Astrophysical Journal, in press

Kinetic equilibrium of two-dimensional force-free current sheets [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04590


Force-free current sheets are local plasma structures with field-aligned electric currents and approximately uniform plasma pressures. Such structures, widely found throughout the heliosphere, are sites for plasma instabilities and magnetic reconnection, the growth rate of which is controlled by the structure’s current sheet configuration. Despite the fact that many kinetic equilibrium models have been developed for one-dimensional (1D) force-free current sheets, their two-dimensional (2D) counterparts, which have a magnetic field component normal to the current sheets, have not received sufficient attention to date. Here, using particle-in-cell simulations, we search for such 2D force-free current sheets through relaxation from an initial, magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium. Kinetic equilibria are established toward the end of our simulations, thus demonstrating the existence of kinetic force-free current sheets. Although the system currents in the late equilibrium state remain field aligned as in the initial configuration, the velocity distribution functions of both ions and electrons systematically evolve from their initial drifting Maxwellians to their final time-stationary Vlasov state. The existence of 2D force-free current sheets at kinetic equilibrium necessitates future work in discovering additional integrals of motion of the system, constructing the kinetic distribution functions, and eventually investigating their stability properties.

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X. An, A. Artemyev, V. Angelopoulos, et. al.
Thu, 12 Jan 23
36/68

Comments: 20 pages, 12 figures

A Model for Gradual Phase Heating Driven by MHD Turbulence in Solar Flares [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04592


Coronal flare emission is commonly observed to decay on timescales longer than those predicted by impulsively-driven, one-dimensional flare loop models. This discrepancy is most apparent during the gradual phase, where emission from these models decays over minutes, in contrast to the hour or more often observed. Magnetic reconnection is invoked as the energy source of a flare, but should deposit energy into a given loop within a matter of seconds. Models which supplement this impulsive energization with a long, persistent ad hoc heating have successfully reproduced long-duration emission, but without providing a clear physical justification. Here we propose a model for extended flare heating by the slow dissipation of turbulent Alfv\’en waves initiated during the retraction of newly-reconnected flux tubes through a current sheet. Using one-dimensional simulations, we track the production and evolution of MHD wave turbulence trapped by reflection from high-density gradients in the transition region. Turbulent energy dissipates through non-linear interaction between counter-propagating waves, modeled here using a phenomenological one-point closure model. AIA EUV light curves synthesized from the simulation were able to reproduce emission decay on the order of tens of minutes. We find this simple model offers a possible mechanism for generating the extended heating demanded by observed coronal flare emissions self-consistently from reconnection-powered flare energy release.

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W. IV and D. Longcope
Thu, 12 Jan 23
65/68

Comments: N/A

On the evolution of the Anisotropic Scaling of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.03896


We analyze a merged Parker Solar Probe ($PSP$) and Solar Orbiter ($SO$) dataset covering heliocentric distances $13 \ R_{\odot} \lesssim R \lesssim 220$ $R_{\odot}$ to investigate the radial evolution of power and spectral-index anisotropy in the wavevector space of solar wind turbulence. Our results show that anisotropic signatures of turbulence display a distinct radial evolution when fast, $V_{sw} \geq ~ 400 ~km ~s^{-1}$, and slow, $V_{sw} \leq ~ 400 ~km ~s^{-1}$, wind streams are considered. The anisotropic properties of slow wind in Earth orbit are consistent with a critically balanced'' cascade, but both spectral-index anisotropy and power anisotropy diminish with decreasing heliographic distance. Fast streams are observed to roughly retain their near-Sun anisotropic properties, with the observed spectral index and power anisotropies being more consistent with adynamically aligned” type of cascade, though the lack of extended fast-wind intervals makes it difficult to accurately measure the anisotropic scaling. A high-resolution analysis during the first perihelion of PSP confirms the presence of two sub-ranges within the inertial range, which may be associated with the transition from weak to strong turbulence. The transition occurs at $\kappa d_{i} \approx 6 \times 10^{-2}$, and signifies a shift from -5/3 to -2 and -3/2 to -1.61 scaling in parallel and perpendicular spectra, respectively. Our results provide strong observational constraints for anisotropic theories of MHD turbulence in the solar wind.

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N. Sioulas, M. Velli, Z. Huang, et. al.
Wed, 11 Jan 23
40/80

Comments: Submitted to APJ

Parker Solar Probe: Four Years of Discoveries at Solar Cycle Minimum [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.02727


Launched on 12 Aug. 2018, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe had completed 13 of its scheduled 24 orbits around the Sun by Nov. 2022. The mission’s primary science goal is to determine the structure and dynamics of the Sun’s coronal magnetic field, understand how the solar corona and wind are heated and accelerated, and determine what processes accelerate energetic particles. Parker Solar Probe returned a treasure trove of science data that far exceeded quality, significance, and quantity expectations, leading to a significant number of discoveries reported in nearly 700 peer-reviewed publications. The first four years of the 7-year primary mission duration have been mostly during solar minimum conditions with few major solar events. Starting with orbit 8 (i.e., 28 Apr. 2021), Parker flew through the magnetically dominated corona, i.e., sub-Alfv\’enic solar wind, which is one of the mission’s primary objectives. In this paper, we present an overview of the scientific advances made mainly during the first four years of the Parker Solar Probe mission, which go well beyond the three science objectives that are: (1) Trace the flow of energy that heats and accelerates the solar corona and solar wind; (2) Determine the structure and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind; and (3) Explore mechanisms that accelerate and transport energetic particles.

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N. Raouafi, L. Matteini, J. Squire, et. al.
Tue, 10 Jan 23
67/93

Comments: 157 pages, 65 figures

Microphysical plasma relations from kinetic modelling of special-relativistic turbulence [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.02669


The microphysical, kinetic properties of astrophysical plasmas near accreting compact objects are still poorly understood. For instance, in modern general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, the relation between the temperature of electrons $T_{e}$ and protons $T_{p}$ is prescribed in terms of simplified phenomenological models where the electron temperature is related to the proton temperature in terms of the ratio between the gas and magnetic pressures, or $\beta$ parameter. We here present a very comprehensive campaign of {two-dimensional} kinetic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations of special-relativistic turbulence to investigate systematically the microphysical properties of the plasma in the trans-relativistic regime. Using a realistic mass ratio between electrons and protons, we analyze how the index of the electron energy distributions $\kappa$, the efficiency of nonthermal particle production $\mathcal{E}$, and the temperature ratio $\mathcal{T}:=T_{e}/T_{p}$, vary over a wide range of values of $\beta$ and $\sigma$. For each of these quantities, we provide two-dimensional fitting functions that describe their behaviour in the relevant space of parameters, thus connecting the microphysical properties of the plasma, $\kappa$, $\mathcal{E}$, and $\mathcal{T}$, with the macrophysical ones $\beta$ and $\sigma$. In this way, our results can find application in wide range of astrophysical scenarios, including the accretion and the jet emission onto supermassive black holes, such as M87* and Sgr A*.

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C. Meringolo, A. Cruz-Osorio, L. Rezzolla, et. al.
Tue, 10 Jan 23
90/93

Comments: 13 pages, 8 figures. Accepted to be published in ApJ

Connecting theory of plasmoid-modulated reconnection to observations of solar flares [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.03239


The short timescale of the solar flare reconnection process has long proved to be a puzzle. Recent studies suggest the importance of the formation of plasmoids in the reconnecting current sheet, with quantifying the aspect ratio of the width to length of the current sheet in terms of a negative power $\alpha$ of the Lundquist number, i.e. $S^{-\alpha}$, being key to understanding the onset of plasmoids formation. In this paper we make the first application of theoretical scalings for this aspect ratio to observed flares to evaluate how plasmoid formation may connect with observations. We find that for three different flares showing plasmoids a range of $\alpha$ values of $\alpha= 0.27$ to $0.31$. The values in this small range implies that plasmoids may be forming before the theoretically predicted critical aspect ratio ($\alpha=1/3$) has been reached, potentially presenting a challenge for the theoretical models.

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A. Hillier and S. Takasao
Tue, 10 Jan 23
91/93

Comments: 6 pages, 1 figure, 1 table. Published Open Access version (this https URL)

Oscillatory reconnection as a plasma diagnostic in the solar corona [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.02452


Oscillatory reconnection is a relaxation process in magnetised plasma, with an inherent periodicity that is exclusively dependent on the properties of the background plasma. This study focuses on the seismological prospects of oscillatory reconnection in the solar corona. We perform three sets of parameter studies (for characteristic coronal values of the background magnetic field, density and temperature) using the PLUTO code to solve the fully compressive, resistive MHD equations for a 2D magnetic X-point. From each parameter study, we derive the period of the oscillatory reconnection. We find that this period is inversely proportional to the characteristic strength of the background magnetic field and the square root of the initial plasma temperature, while following a square root dependency upon the equilibrium plasma density. These results reveal an inverse proportionality between the magnitude of the Alfv\’en speed and the period, as well as the background sound speed and the period. Furthermore, we note that the addition of anisotropic thermal conduction only leads to a small increase in the mean value for the period. Finally, we establish an empirical formula that gives the value for the period in relation to the background magnetic field, density and temperature. This gives us a quantified relation for oscillatory reconnection, to be used as a plasma diagnostic in the solar corona, opening up the possibility of using oscillatory reconnection for coronal seismology.

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K. Karampelas, J. McLaughlin, G. Botha, et. al.
Mon, 9 Jan 23
15/59

Comments: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Formation of Magnetic Switchbacks Observed by Parker Solar Probe [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.02572


Magnetic switchbacks are rapid high amplitude reversals of the radial magnetic field in the solar wind that do not involve a heliospheric current sheet crossing. First seen sporadically in the seventies in Mariner and Helios data, switchbacks were later observed by the Ulysses spacecraft beyond 1 au and have been recently identified as a typical component of solar wind fluctuations in the inner heliosphere by the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft. Here we provide a simple yet predictive theory for the formation of these magnetic reversals: the switchbacks are produced by the shear of circularly polarized Alfv\’en waves by a transversely varying radial wave propagation velocity. We provide an analytic expression for the magnetic field variation, establish the necessary and sufficient conditions and show that the mechanism works in a realistic solar wind scenario.

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G. Toth, M. Velli and B. Holst
Mon, 9 Jan 23
39/59

Comments: Submitted to Nature

Microphysically modified magnetosonic modes in collisionless, high-$β$ plasmas [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.02273


With the support of hybrid-kinetic simulations and analytic theory, we describe the nonlinear behaviour of long-wavelength non-propagating (NP) modes and fast magnetosonic waves in high-$\beta$ collisionless plasmas, with particular attention to their excitation of, and reaction to, kinetic micro-instabilities. The perpendicularly pressure balanced polarization of NP modes produces an excess of perpendicular pressure over parallel pressure in regions where the plasma $\beta$ is increased. For mode amplitudes $\delta B/B_0 \gtrsim 0.3$, this excess excites the mirror instability. Particle scattering off these micro-scale mirrors frustrates the nonlinear saturation of transit-time damping, ensuring that large-amplitude NP modes continue their decay to small amplitudes. At asymptotically large wavelengths, we predict that the mirror-induced scattering will be large enough to interrupt transit-time damping entirely, isotropizing the pressure perturbations and morphing the collisionless NP mode into the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) entropy mode. In fast waves, a fluctuating pressure anisotropy drives both mirror and firehose instabilities when the wave amplitude satisfies $\delta B/B_0 \gtrsim 2\beta^{-1}$. The induced particle scattering leads to delayed shock formation and MHD-like wave dynamics. Taken alongside prior work on self-interrupting Alfv\’en waves and self-sustaining ion-acoustic waves, our results establish a foundation for new theories of electromagnetic turbulence in low-collisionality, high-$\beta$ plasmas such as the intracluster medium, radiatively inefficient accretion flows, and the near-Earth solar wind.

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S. Majeski, M. Kunz and J. Squire
Mon, 9 Jan 23
58/59

Comments: 44 pages, 21 figures, submitted to Journal of Plasma Physics

Origin of Multifractality in Solar Wind Turbulence: the Role of Current Sheets [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.02118


In this work, a multifractal framework is proposed to investigate the effects of current sheets in solar wind turbulence. By using multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis coupled with surrogate methods and volatility, two solar wind magnetic field time series are investigated, one with current sheets and one without current sheets. Despite the lack of extreme-events intermittent bursts in the current sheet-free series, both series are shown to be strongly multifractal, although the current sheet-free series displays an almost linear behavior for the scaling exponent of structure functions. Long-range correlations are shown to be the main source of multifractality for the series without current sheets, while a combination of heavy-tail distribution and nonlinear correlations are responsible for multifractality in the series with current sheets. The multifractality in both time series is formally shown to be associated with an energy-cascade process using the p-model.

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L. Gomes, T. Gomes, E. Rempel, et. al.
Fri, 6 Jan 23
3/55

Comments: Accepted by MNRAS

Space Plasma Physics Science Opportunities for the Lunar Orbital Platform -Gateway [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.02189


The Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (LOP-Gateway, or simply Gateway) is a crewed platform that will be assembled and operated in the vicinity of the Moon by NASA and international partner organizations, including ESA, starting from the mid-2020s. It will offer new opportunities for fundamental and applied scientific research. The Moon is a unique location to study the deep space plasma environment. Moreover, the lunar surface and the surface-bounded exosphere are interacting with this environment, constituting a complex multi-scale interacting system. This paper examines the opportunities provided by externally mounted payloads on the Gateway in the field of space plasma physics, heliophysics and space weather, but also examines the impact of the space environment on an inhabited platform in the vicinity of the Moon. It then presents the conceptual design of a model payload, required to perform these space plasma measurements and observations. It results that the Gateway is very well-suited for space plasma physics research. It allows a series of scientific objectives with a multidisciplinary dimension to be addressed.

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I. Dandouras, M. Taylor, J. Keyser, et. al.
Fri, 6 Jan 23
13/55

Comments: N/A

Pre-acceleration in the Electron Foreshock II: Oblique Whistler Waves [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.00872


Thermal electrons have gyroradii many orders of magnitude smaller than the finite width of a shock, thus need to be pre-accelerated before they can cross it and be accelerated by diffusive shock acceleration. One region where pre-acceleration may occur is the inner foreshock, which upstream electrons must pass through before any potential downstream crossing. In this paper, we perform a large scale particle-in-cell simulation that generates a single shock with parameters motivated from supernova remnants. Within the foreshock, reflected electrons excite the oblique whistler instability and produce electromagnetic whistler waves, which co-move with the upstream flow and as non-linear structures eventually reach radii of up to 5 ion-gyroradii. We show that the inner electromagnetic configuration of the whistlers evolves into complex non-linear structures bound by a strong magnetic field around 4 times the upstream value. Although these non-linear structures do not in general interact with co-spatial upstream electrons, they resonate with electrons that have been reflected at the shock. We show that they can scatter, or even trap, reflected electrons, confining around $0.8\%$ of the total upstream electron population to the region close to the shock where they can undergo substantial pre-acceleration. This acceleration process is similar to, yet approximately 3 times more efficient than, stochastic shock drift acceleration.

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P. Morris, A. Bohdan, M. Weidl, et. al.
Wed, 4 Jan 23
10/43

Comments: 16 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Proton and electron temperatures in the solar wind and their correlations with the solar wind speed [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.00852


The heating and acceleration of the solar wind remains one of the fundamental unsolved problems in heliophysics. It is usually observed that the proton temperature $T_i$ is highly correlated with the solar wind speed $V_{SW}$, while the electron temperature $T_e$ shows anti-correlation or no clear correlation with the solar wind speed. Here we inspect both Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and WIND data and compare the observations with simulation results. PSP observations below 30 solar radii clearly show a positive correlation between proton temperature and wind speed and a negative correlation between electron temperature and wind speed. One year (2019) of WIND data confirm that proton temperature is positively correlated with solar wind speed, but the electron temperature increases with the solar wind speed for slow wind while it decreases with the solar wind speed for fast wind. Using a one-dimensional Alfv\’en-wave-driven solar wind model with different proton and electron temperatures, we for the first time find that if most of the dissipated Alfv\’en wave energy heats the ions instead of electrons, a positive $T_i-V_{SW}$ correlation and a negative $T_e-V_{SW}$ correlation arise naturally. If the electrons gain a small but finite portion of the dissipated wave energy, the $T_e-V_{SW}$ correlation evolves with radial distance to the Sun such that the negative correlation gradually turns positive. The model results show that Alfv\’en waves are one of the possible explanations of the observed evolution of proton and electron temperatures in the solar wind.

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C. Shi, M. Velli, R. Lionello, et. al.
Wed, 4 Jan 23
24/43

Comments: N/A

Turbulent Drag Reduction in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence and Dynamo from Energy Flux Perspectives [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.01281


In this review, we describe turbulent drag reduction in a variety of flows using a universal framework of energy flux. In a turbulent flow with dilute polymers and magnetic field, the kinetic energy injected at large scales cascades to the velocity field at intermediate scales, as well as to the polymers and magnetic field at all scales. Consequently, the kinetic energy flux, $ \Pi_u(k) $, is suppressed in comparison to the pure hydrodynamic turbulence. We argue that the suppression of $\Pi_u(k)$ is an important factor in the reduction of the inertial force $\langle {\bf u \cdot \nabla u} \rangle$ and \textit{turbulent drag}. This feature of turbulent drag reduction is observed in polymeric, magnetohydrodynamic, quasi-static magnetohydrodynamic, and stably-stratified turbulence, and in dynamos. In addition, it is shown that turbulent drag reduction in thermal convection is due to the smooth thermal plates, similar to the turbulent drag reduction over bluff bodies. In all these flows, turbulent drag reduction often leads to a strong large-scale velocity in the flow.

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M. Verma, M. Sharma and S. Chatterjee
Wed, 4 Jan 23
40/43

Comments: 52 pages, submitted to Reviews of Modern Plasma Physics

A Titov-Démoulin Type Eruptive Event Generator for $β>0$ Plasmas [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.13637


We provide exact analytical solutions for the magnetic field produced by prescribed current distributions located inside a toroidal filament of finite thickness. The solutions are expressed in terms of toroidal functions which are modifications of the Legendre functions. In application to the MHD equilibrium of a twisted toroidal current loop in the solar corona, the Grad-Shafranov equation is decomposed into an analytic solution describing an equilibrium configuration against the pinch-effect from its own current and an approximate solution for an external strapping field to balance the hoop force. Our solutions can be employed in numerical simulations of coronal mass ejections. When superimposed on the background solar coronal magnetic field, the excess magnetic energy of the twisted current loop configuration can be made unstable by applying flux cancellation to reduce the strapping field. Such loss of stability accompanied by the formation of an expanding flux rope is typical for the Titov & D\’emoulin (1999) eruptive event generator. The main new features of the proposed model are: (i) The filament is filled with finite $\beta$ plasma with finite mass and energy, (ii) The model describes an equilibrium solution that will spontaneously erupt due to magnetic reconnection of the strapping magnetic field arcade, and (iii) There are analytic expressions connecting the model parameters to the asymptotic velocity and total mass of the resulting CME, providing a way to connect the simulated CME properties to multipoint coronograph observations.

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I. Sokolov and T. Gombosi
Thu, 29 Dec 22
13/47

Comments: 20 pages, 7 figures

A Titov-Démoulin Type Eruptive Event Generator for $β>0$ Plasmas [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.13637


We provide exact analytical solutions for the magnetic field produced by prescribed current distributions located inside a toroidal filament of finite thickness. The solutions are expressed in terms of toroidal functions which are modifications of the Legendre functions. In application to the MHD equilibrium of a twisted toroidal current loop in the solar corona, the Grad-Shafranov equation is decomposed into an analytic solution describing an equilibrium configuration against the pinch-effect from its own current and an approximate solution for an external strapping field to balance the hoop force. Our solutions can be employed in numerical simulations of coronal mass ejections. When superimposed on the background solar coronal magnetic field, the excess magnetic energy of the twisted current loop configuration can be made unstable by applying flux cancellation to reduce the strapping field. Such loss of stability accompanied by the formation of an expanding flux rope is typical for the Titov & D\’emoulin (1999) eruptive event generator. The main new features of the proposed model are: (i) The filament is filled with finite $\beta$ plasma with finite mass and energy, (ii) The model describes an equilibrium solution that will spontaneously erupt due to magnetic reconnection of the strapping magnetic field arcade, and (iii) There are analytic expressions connecting the model parameters to the asymptotic velocity and total mass of the resulting CME, providing a way to connect the simulated CME properties to multipoint coronograph observations.

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I. Sokolov and T. Gombosi
Thu, 29 Dec 22
46/47

Comments: 20 pages, 7 figures

Radiation reaction cooling as a source of anisotropic momentum distributions with inverted populations [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.12271


Under the presence of strong electromagnetic fields and radiation reaction, plasmas develop anisotropic momentum distributions, characterized by a population inversion. This is a general property of collisionless plasmas when the radiation reaction force is taken into account. We study the case of a plasma in a strong magnetic field and demonstrate the development of ring momentum distributions. The timescales for ring formation are derived for this configuration. The analytical results for the ring properties and the timescales for ring formation are confirmed with particle-in-cell simulations. The resulting momentum distributions are kinetically unstable and are known to lead to coherent radiation emission in astrophysical plasmas and laboratory setups.

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P. Bilbao and L. Silva
Mon, 26 Dec 22
16/39

Comments: 8 pages, 4 figures

High-Energy Neutrinos from Gamma-Ray-Faint Accretion-Powered Hypernebulae [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.11236


Hypernebulae are inflated by accretion-powered winds accompanying hyper-Eddington mass transfer from an evolved post-main sequence star onto a black hole or neutron star companion. The ions accelerated at the termination shock$-$where the collimated fast disk winds/jet collide with the slower, wide-angled winds$-$can generate high-energy neutrinos via hadronic ($pp$) reactions, and photohadronic ($p\gamma$) interactions with the disk thermal and Comptonized nonthermal background photons. It has been suggested that some fast radio bursts (FRBs) may be powered by such short-lived jetted hyper-accreting engines. Although neutrino emission associated with the ms-duration bursts themselves is challenging to detect, the persistent radio counterparts of some FRB sources$-$if associated with hypernebulae$-$could contribute to the high energy neutrino diffuse background flux. If the hypernebula birth rate follows that of steller-merger transients and common envelope events, we find that their volume-integrated neutrino emission$-$depending on the population-averaged mass-transfer rates$-$could explain $\gtrsim 25\%$ of the high-energy diffuse neutrino flux observed by the IceCube Observatory and the Baikal-GVD Telescope. The time-averaged neutrino spectrum from hypernebula$-$depending on the population parameters$-$can also reproduce the observed diffuse neutrino spectrum. The neutrino emission could in some cases furthermore extend to $>$100 PeV, detectable by future ultra-high-energy neutrino observatories. The large optical depth through the nebula to Breit-Wheeler ($\gamma\gamma$) interaction attenuates the escape of GeV-PeV gamma-rays co-produced with the neutrinos, rendering these gamma-ray-faint neutrino sources, consistent with the Fermi observations of the isotropic gamma-ray background.

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N. Sridhar, B. Metzger and K. Fang
Thu, 22 Dec 22
24/59

Comments: 20 pages, 10 figures, 1 table. Submitted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; comments welcome

Taylor-Couette flow for astrophysical purposes [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.08741


A concise review is given of astrophysically motivated experimental and theoretical research on Taylor-Couette flow. The flows of interest rotate differentially with inner cylinder faster than outer one but are linearly stable against Rayleigh’s inviscid centrifugal instability. At shear Reynolds numbers as large as 10^6, hydrodynamic flows of this type (quasi-keplerian) appear to be nonlinearly stable: no turbulence is seen that cannot be attributed to interaction with the axial boundaries, rather than the radial shear itself. Direct numerical simulations agree, although they cannot yet reach such high Reynolds numbers. This result indicates that accretion-disc turbulence is not purely hydrodynamic in origin, at least insofar as it is driven by radial shear. Theory, however, predicts linear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities in astrophysical discs: in particular, the standard magnetorotational instability (SMRI). MHD Taylor-Couette experiments aimed at SMRI are challenged by the low magnetic Prandtl numbers of liquid metals. High fluid Reynolds numbers and careful control of the axial boundaries are required. The quest for laboratory SMRI has been rewarded with the discovery of some interesting inductionless cousins of SMRI, and the recently reported success in demonstrating SMRI itself by taking advantage of conducting axial boundaries. Some outstanding questions and near-future prospects are discussed, especially in connection with astrophysics.

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H. Ji and J. Goodman
Tue, 20 Dec 22
16/97

Comments: 17 pages, 6 figures, and 2 tables, accepted as part of Theme issue: Taylor-Couette and Related Flows on the Centennial of Taylor’s Seminal Philosophical Transactions Paper in Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A

Equation of state to compact objects with ion crystal lattice [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.08737


Crystal lattice structure is present in stellar compact objects, such as white dwarf stars and in the crust of neutron stars. These structures can be described by a body-centered cubic crystal, which is formed by ions due to Coulombian interactions in presence of stellar electron plasma. The electron-electron interaction is currently described in the electrodynamics context by a quantum homogeneous plasma. Particularly, we investigate the changes in the medium Equations of State (EoS), improving results presented in the literature. The main purpose of this work is to analyse the distribution of electrons in the stellar medium considering their interaction with ions in the crystal lattice. The electric field produced by the presence of crystal lattice is obtained using linear response theory in the context of finite temperature field theory. The screening and distribution of electrons are corrected by an arbitrary number of neighbor ions, which is a novelty in the literature and significantly impact the EoS. Numerical results are presented for a completely degenerate electron plasma and for different species of ions that make up the lattice. These EoS can be applied to determine the structure of the aforementioned compact stellar objects.

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S. Ramalho, S. Duarte and G. Vicente
Tue, 20 Dec 22
46/97

Comments: N/A

Particle Acceleration in Colliding Flows: Binary Star Winds and Other Double-Shock Structures [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.08788


A shock wave propagating perpendicularly to an ambient magnetic field accelerates particles considerably faster than in the parallel propagation regime. However, the perpendicular acceleration stops after the shock overruns a circular particle orbit. At the same time, it may continue in flows resulting from supersonically colliding plasmas bound by a pair of perpendicular shocks. Although the double-shock acceleration mechanism, which we consider in detail, is not advantageous for thermal particles, pre-energized particles may avoid the premature end of acceleration. We argue that if their gyroradius exceeds the dominant turbulence scale between the shocks, these particles might traverse the intershock space repeatedly before being carried away by the shocked plasma. Moreover, entering the space between the shocks of similar velocities $u_{1}\approx u_{2}\approx c$, such particles start bouncing between the shocks at a fixed angle $\approx 35.3^{\circ}$ to the shock surface. Their drift along the shock fronts is slow, $V_{d}\sim\left|u_{2}-u_{1}\right|\ll c$, so that it will take $N\sim Lc/\left|u_{2}-u_{1}\right|d\gg1$ bounces before they escape the accelerator (here, $L$ is the size of the shocks and $d$ is the gap between them). Since these particles more than ten-fold their energy per cycle (two consecutive bounces), we invoke other possible losses that can limit the acceleration. They include drifts due to rippled shocks, the nonparallel mutual orientation of the upstream magnetic fields, and radiative losses.

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M. Malkov and M. Lemoine
Tue, 20 Dec 22
72/97

Comments: 21 pages, 13 figure

Numerical Study of Magnetic Island Coalescence Using Magnetohydrodynamics With Adaptively Embedded Particle-In-Cell Model [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.07980


Collisionless magnetic reconnection typically requires kinetic treatments that are, in general, computationally expensive compared to fluid-based models. In this study, we use the magnetohydrodynamics with adaptively embedded particle-in-cell (MHD-AEPIC) model to study the interaction of two magnetic flux ropes. This innovative model embeds one or more adaptive PIC regions into a global MHD simulation domain such that the kinetic treatment is only applied in regions where kinetic physics is prominent. We compare the simulation results among three cases: 1) MHD with adaptively embedded PIC regions, 2) MHD with statically (or fixed) embedded PIC regions, and 3) a full PIC simulation. The comparison yields good agreement when analyzing their reconnection rates and magnetic island separations, as well as the ion pressure tensor elements and ion agyrotropy. In order to reach a good agreement among the three cases, large adaptive PIC regions are needed within the MHD domain, which indicates that the magnetic island coalescence problem is highly kinetic in nature where the coupling between the macro-scale MHD and micro-scale kinetic physics is important.

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D. Li, Y. Chen, C. Dong, et. al.
Fri, 16 Dec 22
27/72

Comments: 9 pages, 10 figures

Magnetic field evolution and reconnection in low resistivity plasmas [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.07487


A driven evolution of a magnetic field has three aspects: field line topology, magnetic energy, and magnetic helicity. An ideal evolution with minimal energy input can produce magnetic field line chaos, which makes the preservation of field-line topology exponentially sensitive to non-ideal effects on an evolution timescale, but has no direct effect on energy or helicity dissipation. Resistive dissipation of the power input requires highly localized current densities $j\approx vB/\eta$, where $v$ is the velocity given by the evolution drive and $\eta$ is the plasma resistivity. Dissipation of the magnetic helicity input cannot be balanced when the magnetic Reynolds number is large compared to unity. Current densities $j\approx vB/\eta$ are consistent with those required to produce the solar corona with the observed height of the transition region by the Dreicer electron runaway effect.

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A. Boozer
Fri, 16 Dec 22
34/72

Comments: N/A

Turbulence, intermittency and cross-scale energy transfer in an interplanetary coronal mass ejection [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.06871


Solar wind measurements carried out by NASA’s Wind spacecraft before, during and after the passing of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) detected on 12-14 September 2014 have been used in order to examine several properties of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. Spectral indices and flatness scaling exponents of magnetic field, velocity and proton density measurements were obtained, and provided a standard description of the characteristics of turbulence within different sub-regions of the ICME and its surroundings. This analysis was followed by the validation of the third-order moment scaling law for isotropic, incompressible MHD turbulence in the same sub-regions, which confirmed the fully developed nature of turbulence in the ICME plasma. The energy transfer rate was also estimated in each ICME sub-region and in the surrounding solar wind. An exceptionally high value was found within the ICME sheath, accompanied by enhanced intermittency, possibly related to the powerful energy injection associated with the arrival of the ICME.

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R. Rodríguez, L. Sorriso-Valvo and E. Yordanova
Thu, 15 Dec 22
45/75

Comments: N/A

The aperiodic firehose instability of counter-beaming electrons in space plasmas [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.07304


Recent studies have revealed new unstable regimes of the counter-beaming electrons specific to hot and dilute plasmas from astrophysical scenarios. The (counter-)beaming electron firehose instability (BEFI) is induced for highly oblique angles of propagation relative to the magnetic field, resembling the fast growing and aperiodic mode triggered by the temperature anisotropy. It is investigated here for space plasma conditions that includes the influence of an embedding background plasma of electrons and protons. Kinetic theory is applied to prescribe the unstable regimes, and differentiate from the regimes of interplay with other instabilities. Linear theory predicts a systematic inhibition of the BEFI, by reducing the growth rates and the range of unstable wave-number with increasing the relative density of the background electrons. To obtain finite growth rates, the beam speed does not need to be high (just comparable to thermal speed), but beams must be dense enough, with a relative density at least 15-20\% of the total density. The plasma conditions favorable to this instability are reduced under the influence of background electrons. PIC simulations confirm not only that BEFI can be excited in the presence of background electrons, but also the inhibiting effect of this population. In the regimes of transition to electrostatic (ES) instabilities, BEFI is still robust enough to develop as a secondary instability, after the relaxation of beams under a quick interaction with ES fluctuations. BEFI resembles the properties of firehose heat-flux instability triggered by the electron strahl. However, BEFI is driven by a double (counter-beaming) strahl, and develops at oblique angles, which makes it effective in the regularization of the electron counter-beams observed in closed magnetic field topologies and interplanetary shocks.

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M. Lazar, R. López, P. Moya, et. al.
Thu, 15 Dec 22
72/75

Comments: Paper accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics (12.12.2022)

Morphology of Shocked Lateral Outflows in Colliding Hydrodynamic Flows [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.05631


Supersonic interacting flows occurring in phenomena such as protostellar jets give rise to strong shocks, and have been demonstrated in several laboratory experiments. To study such colliding flows, we use the AstroBEAR AMR code to conduct hydrodynamic simulations in three dimensions. We introduce variations in the flow parameters of density, velocity, and cross sectional radius of the colliding flows %radius in order to study the propagation and conical shape of the bow shock formed by collisions between two, not necessarily symmetric, hypersonic flows. We find that the motion of the interaction region is driven by imbalances in ram pressure between the two flows, while the conical structure of the bow shock is a result of shocked lateral outflows (SLOs) being deflected from the horizontal when the flows are of differing cross-section.

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R. Markwick, A. Frank, J. Carroll-Nellenback, et. al.
Tue, 13 Dec 22
47/105

Comments: N/A

Relativistic Collisionless Shocks in Inhomogeneous Magnetized Plasmas [HEAP]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.06053


Relativistic collisionless shocks are associated with efficient particle acceleration when propagating into weakly magnetized homogeneous media; as the magnetization increases, particle acceleration becomes suppressed. We demonstrate that this changes when the upstream carries kinetic-scale inhomogeneities, as is often the case in astrophysical environments. We use fully-kinetic simulations to study relativistic perpendicular shocks in magnetized pair plasmas interacting with upstream density perturbations. The upstream fluctuations are found to corrugate the shock front and generate large-scale turbulent shear motions in the downstream, which in turn are capable of accelerating particles. This can revive relativistic magnetized shocks as viable energization sites in astrophysical systems, such as jets and accretion disks. The generation of large-scale magnetic structures also has important implications for polarization signals from blazars.

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C. Demidem, J. Nättilä and A. Veledina
Tue, 13 Dec 22
60/105

Comments: 8 pages, 5 figures

Electron polarization in ultrarelativistic plasma current filamentation instabilities [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.03303


Plasma current filamentation of an ultrarelativistic electron beam impinging on an overdense plasma is investigated, with emphasis on radiation-induced electron polarization. Particle-in-cell simulations provide the classification and in-depth analysis of three different regimes of the current filaments, namely, the normal filament, abnormal filament, and quenching regimes. We show that electron radiative polarization emerges during the instability along the azimuthal direction in the momentum space, which significantly varies across the regimes. We put forward an intuitive Hamiltonian model to trace the origin of the electron polarization dynamics. In particular, we discern the role of nonlinear transverse motion of plasma filaments, which induces asymmetry in radiative spin flips, yielding an accumulation of electron polarization. Our results break the conventional perception that quasi-symmetric fields are inefficient for generating radiative spin-polarized beams, suggesting the potential of electron polarization as a source of new information on laboratory and astrophysical plasma instabilities.

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Z. Gong, K. Hatsagortsyan and C. Keitel
Thu, 8 Dec 22
11/63

Comments: 7 pages, 5 figures

Parameter study of decaying magnetohydrodynamic turbulence [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.02418


It is well known that helical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence exhibits an inverse transfer of magnetic energy from small to large scales, which is related to the approximate conservation of magnetic helicity. Recently, several numerical investigations noticed the existence of an inverse energy transfer also in nonhelical MHD flows. We run a set of fully resolved direct numerical simulations and perform a wide parameter study of the inverse energy transfer and the decaying laws of helical and nonhelical MHD. Our numerical results show only a small inverse transfer of energy that grows as with increasing Prandtl number (Pm). This latter feature may have interesting consequences for cosmic magnetic field evolution. Additionally, we find that the decaying laws $E \sim t^{-p}$ are independent of the scale separation and depend solely on Pm and Re. In the helical case we measure a dependence of the form $p_b \approx 0.6 + 14/Re$. We also make a comparison between our results and previous literature and discuss the possible reason for the observed disagreements.

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A. Armua, A. Berera and J. Figueroa
Tue, 6 Dec 22
30/87

Comments: 18 pages, 19 figures

Particle acceleration at ultrarelativistic, perpendicular shock fronts [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.02349


Using an eigenfunction expansion to solve the transport equation, complemented by Monte-Carlo simulations, we show that ultrarelativistic shocks can be effective particle accelerators even when they fail to produce large amplitude turbulence in the downstream plasma. This finding contradicts the widely held belief that a uniform downstream magnetic field perpendicular to the shock normal inhibits acceleration by the first order Fermi process. In the ultrarelativistic limit, we find a stationary power-law particle spectrum of index s=4.17 for these shocks, close to that predicted for a strictly parallel shock.

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J. Kirk, B. Reville and Z. Huang
Tue, 6 Dec 22
45/87

Comments: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Effects of background periodic flow on MHD fast wave propagation to a coronal loop [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.01061


We investigate the propagation of MHD fast waves into a cylindrical coronal loop through an inhomogeneous stationary flow region. The background flow is assumed to have a small, spatially periodic structure in addition to a constant speed. We focus on the absorption of the wave energy in Alfv\'{e}n resonance, comparing with the constant flow case. A new flow (absorption) regime is induced by the periodic flow structure which enhances the absorption for the antiparallel flow and inverse absorption (overreflection) for the parallel flow with respect to the axial wave vector, depending on the transitional layer and flow profiles. A giant overreflection and anomalous absorption behavior arise for some flow configurations. In the other flow regimes, its effect on the absorption is shown to be weak.

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D. Yu
Mon, 5 Dec 22
3/63

Comments: 10 pages, 7 figures

Energy budget-based characterization of convection-driven dynamos [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.00969


We investigate the energy pathways between the velocity and the magnetic fields in a rotating plane layer dynamo driven by Rayleigh-B\’enard convection using direct numerical simulations. The kinetic and magnetic energies are divided into mean and turbulent components to study the production, transport, and dissipation associated with large and small-scale dynamos. This energy balance-based characterization reveals distinct mechanisms for large- and small-scale magnetic field generation in dynamos, depending on the nature of the velocity field and the conditions imposed at the boundaries.

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S. Naskar and A. Pal
Mon, 5 Dec 22
20/63

Comments: N/A

The effect of linear background rotational flows on magnetoacoustic modes of a photospheric magnetic flux tube [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.00379


Magnetoacoustic waves in solar magnetic flux tubes may be affected by the presence of background rotational flows. Here, we investigate the behaviour of $m=0$ and $m=\pm 1$ modes of a magnetic flux tube in the presence of linear background rotational flows embedded in a photospheric environment. We show that the inclusion of a background rotational flow is found to have little effect on the obtained eigensolutions for the axisymmetric $m=0$ sausage mode. However, solutions for the kink mode are dependent on the location of the flow resonance modified by the slow frequency. A background rotational flow causes the modified flow resonances to possess faster phase speeds in the thin-tube (TT) limit for the case $m=1$. This results in solutions for the slow body and slow surface kink modes to follow this trajectory, changing their dispersive behaviour. For a photospheric flux tube in the TT limit, we show that it becomes difficult to distinguish between the slow surface and fast surface kink ($m=1$) modes upon comparison of their eigenfunctions. 2D velocity field plots demonstrate how these waves, in the presence of background rotational flows, may appear in observational data. For slow body kink modes, a swirling pattern can be seen in the total pressure perturbation. Furthermore, the tube boundary undergoes a helical motion from the breaking of azimuthal symmetry, where the $m=1$ and $m=-1$ modes become out of phase, suggesting the resulting kink wave is circularly polarised. These results may have implications for seismology of magnetohydrodynamic waves in solar magnetic vortices.

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S. Skirvin, V. Fedun, S. Silva, et. al.
Fri, 2 Dec 22
46/81

Comments: 13 pages, 8 figures

First in-situ observation of surface Alfvén waves in ICME flux rope [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2211.16972


Alfv\’en waves (AWs) are inevitable in space and astrophysical plasma. Their crucial role in various physical processes, occurring in plasma, has triggered intense research in solar-terrestrial physics. Simulation studies have proposed the generation of AWs along the surface of a cylindrical flux rope, referred to as Surface AWs (SAWs); however the observational verification of this distinct wave has been elusive to date. We report the first \textit{in-situ} observation of SAWs in an interplanetary coronal mass ejection flux rope. We apply the Wal\’en test to identify them. The Elsa\”sser variables are used to estimate the characterization of these SAWs. They may be excited by the movement of the flux rope’s foot points or by instabilities along the plasma magnetic cloud’s boundaries. Here, the change in plasma density or field strength in the surface-aligned magnetic field may trigger SAWs.

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A. raghav, O. Dhamane, Z. shaikh, et. al.
Thu, 1 Dec 22
32/85

Comments: N/A

Parametric amplification of electromagnetic plasma waves in resonance with a dispersive background gravitational wave [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2211.15801


It is shown that a sub-luminal electromagnetic plasma wave, propagating in phase with a background sub-luminal gravitational wave in a dispersive medium, can undergo parametric amplification. For this phenomena to occur, the dispersive characteristics of the two waves must properly match. The response frequencies of the two waves (medium dependent) must lie within a definite and restrictive range. The combined dynamics is represented by a Whitaker-Hill equation, the quintessential model for parametric instabilities. The exponential growth of the electromagnetic wave is displayed at the resonance; the plasma wave grows at the expense of the background gravitational wave. Different physical scenarios, where the phenomenon can be possible, are discussed.

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S. Mahajan and F. Asenjo
Wed, 30 Nov 22
43/81

Comments: N/A

Numerical Modeling of Energetic Electron Acceleration, Transport, and Emission in Solar Flares: Connecting Loop-top and Footpoint Hard X-Ray Sources [SSA]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2211.15333


The acceleration and transport of energetic electrons during solar flares is one of the outstanding topics in solar physics. Recent X-ray and radio imaging and spectroscopy observations have provided diagnostics of the distribution of nonthermal electrons and suggested that, in certain flare events, electrons are primarily accelerated in the loop-top and likely experience trapping and/or scattering effects. By combining the focused particle transport equation with magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of solar flares, we present a macroscopic particle model that naturally incorporates electron acceleration and transport. Our simulation results indicate that the physical processes such as turbulent pitch-angle scattering can have important impacts on both electron acceleration in the loop-top and transport in the flare loop, and their influences are highly energy dependent. A spatial-dependent turbulent scattering with enhancement in the loop-top can enable both efficient electron acceleration to high energies and transport of abundant electrons to the footpoints. We further generate spatially resolved synthetic hard X-ray (HXR) emission images and spectra, revealing both the loop-top and footpoint HXR sources. Similar to the observations, we show that the footpoint HXR sources are brighter and harder than the loop-top HXR source. We suggest that the macroscopic particle model provides new insights into understanding the connection between the observed loop-top and footpoint nonthermal emission sources by combining the particle model with dynamically evolving MHD simulations of solar flares.

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X. Kong, B. Chen, F. Guo, et. al.
Tue, 29 Nov 22
5/80

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJL

Phase Space Energization of Ions in Oblique Shocks [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2211.15340


Examining energization of kinetic plasmas in phase space is a growing topic of interest, owing to the wealth of data in phase space compared to traditional bulk energization diagnostics. Via the field-particle correlation (FPC) technique and using multiple means of numerically integrating the plasma kinetic equation, we have studied the energization of ions in phase space within oblique collisionless shocks. The perspective afforded to us with this analysis in phase space allows us to characterize distinct populations of energized ions. In particular, we focus on ions which reflect multiple times off the shock front through shock-drift acceleration, and how to distinguish these different reflected populations in phase space using the FPC technique. We further extend our analysis to simulations of three-dimensional shocks undergoing more complicated dynamics, such as shock ripple, to demonstrate the ability to recover the phase space signatures of this energization process in a more general system. This work thus extends previous applications of the FPC technique to more realistic collisionless shock environments, providing stronger evidence of the technique’s utility for simulation, laboratory, and spacecraft analysis.

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J. Juno, C. Brown, G. Howes, et. al.
Tue, 29 Nov 22
6/80

Comments: 9 pages, 5 figures

Triggered Ion-acoustic Waves [CL]

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http://arxiv.org/abs/2211.14415


The Parker Solar Probe is in a solar orbit with a perihelion for orbit 12 at 13.3 solar radii. The electric field experiment on this satellite observes what we call triggered ion-acoustic waves as the most dominant wave mode above a few Hz within the solar radial distance of 15-25 solar radii. In this mode, a few Hz electrostatic wave is typically accompanied by bursts of a few hundred Hz wave whose bursts are phase locked with each low frequency wave period. Plasma density fluctuations with {\Delta}n/n~0.1 accompany these waves and they have no magnetic field component. The wave durations can be hours and their field and density fluctuations are nearly pure sine waves. They are identified as ion-acoustic waves. The low and high frequency waves are measured to have the same phase velocity within experimental uncertainties, which is a requirement associated with their phase locked relationship. From the measured wavelength, the potential associated with the low frequency wave is estimated to be ~10 Volts, which can result in electron heating via the Landau resonance that is in agreement with observations of the core electron temperature increases at times of such waves. Their phase locked relationship and pure frequency are surprising features that characterize a new regime of instability and evolution of ion-acoustic waves that may not have been reported previously. That these waves are an instrumental effect unrelated to natural processes is considered. While this is unlikely, the possibility that these waves are artificial cannot be rule out

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F. Mozer, S. Bale, P. Kellogg, et. al.
Tue, 29 Nov 22
59/80

Comments: 22 pages, 10 figures