Journal article
The development of magnetic field line wander by plasma turbulence
Journal of plasma physics, Vol.83(4), 905830408
08/01/2017
DOI: 10.1017/S0022377817000617
Abstract
Plasma turbulence occurs ubiquitously in space and astrophysical plasmas, mediating the nonlinear transfer of energy from large-scale electromagnetic fields and plasma flows to small scales at which the energy may be ultimately converted to plasma heat. But plasma turbulence also generically leads to a tangling of the magnetic field that threads through the plasma. The resulting wander of the magnetic field lines may significantly impact a number of important physical processes, including the propagation of cosmic rays and energetic particles, confinement in magnetic fusion devices and the fundamental processes of turbulence, magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration. The various potential impacts of magnetic field line wander are reviewed in detail, and a number of important theoretical considerations are identified that may influence the development and saturation of magnetic field line wander in astrophysical plasma turbulence. The results of nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of kinetic Alfven wave turbulence of sub-ion length scales are evaluated to understand the development and saturation of the turbulent magnetic energy spectrum and of the magnetic field line wander. It is found that turbulent space and astrophysical plasmas are generally expected to contain a stochastic magnetic field due to the tangling of the field by strong plasma turbulence. Future work will explore how the saturated magnetic field line wander varies as a function of the amplitude of the plasma turbulence and the ratio of the thermal to magnetic pressure, known as the plasma beta.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The development of magnetic field line wander by plasma turbulence
- Creators
- Gregory G. Howes - University of IowaSofiane Bourouaine - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of plasma physics, Vol.83(4), 905830408
- DOI
- 10.1017/S0022377817000617
- ISSN
- 0022-3778
- eISSN
- 1469-7807
- Publisher
- Cambridge Univ Press
- Number of pages
- 29
- Grant note
- NNX10AC91G / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) AGS-1054061 / NSF CAREER; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Office of the Director (OD) 1054061 / Directorate For Geosciences; National Science Foundation (NSF); NSF - Directorate for Geosciences (GEO)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/01/2017
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984429026702771
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