Two-dimensional Hybrid Simulations of Kinetic Plasma Turbulence: Current and Vorticity vs Proton Temperature

Abstract

Proton temperature anisotropies between the directions parallel and perpendicular to the mean magnetic field are usually observed in the solar wind plasma. Here, we employ a high-resolution hybrid particle-in-cell simulation in order to investigate the relation between spatial properties of the proton temperature and the peaks in the current density and in the flow vorticity. Our results indicate that, although regions where the proton temperature is enhanced and temperature anisotropies are larger correspond approximately to regions where many thin current sheets form, no firm quantitative evidence supports the idea of a direct causality between the two phenomena. On the other hand, quite a clear correlation between the behavior of the proton temperature and the out-of-plane vorticity is obtained.

arXiv comment4 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Solar Wind Conference

References in corpus (6)

• Solar Wind Turbulence and the Role of Ion Instabilities
• The Nature of Subproton Scale Turbulence in the Solar Wind
• Enhanced Magnetic Compressibility and Isotropic Scale-Invariance at Sub-Ion Larmor Scales in Solar Wind Turbulence
• High-resolution hybrid simulations of kinetic plasma turbulence at proton scales
• Proton Kinetic Effects in Vlasov and Solar Wind Turbulence
• Solar wind turbulence from MHD to sub-ion scales: high-resolution hybrid simulations

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Energy transfer, pressure tensor and heating of kinetic plasma
• Pressure anisotropy and small spatial scales induced by velocity shear
• Statistics of Kinetic Dissipation in Earth's Magnetosheath -- MMS Observations
• A local approach to the study of energy transfers in incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
• On the deviation from Maxwellian of the ion velocity distribution functions in the turbulent magnetosheath
• Three-dimensional local anisotropy of velocity fluctuations in the solar wind
• Finite-Larmor-radius equilibrium and currents of the Earth's flank magnetopause
• A pressure tensor description for the time-resonant Weibel instability
• Temperature anisotropy instabilities driven by intermittent velocity shears in the solar wind
• Ion-scale transition of plasma turbulence: Pressure-strain effect