The link between shocks, turbulence, and magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas

H Karimabadi; V Roytershteyn; H. X Vu; Y. A Omelchenko; J Scudder; W Daughton; A Dimmock; K Nykyri; M Wan; D Sibeck; M Tatineni; A Majumdar; B Loring; B Geveci

doi:10.1063/1.4882875

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The link between shocks, turbulence, and magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas

Journal article

Peer reviewed

The link between shocks, turbulence, and magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas

H Karimabadi, V Roytershteyn, H. X Vu, Y. A Omelchenko, J Scudder, W Daughton, A Dimmock, K Nykyri, M Wan, D Sibeck, …

Physics of plasmas, Vol.21(6), p.62308

06/15/2014

DOI: 10.1063/1.4882875

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Abstract

Global hybrid (electron fluid, kinetic ions) and fully kinetic simulations of the magnetosphere have been used to show surprising interconnection between shocks, turbulence, and magnetic reconnection. In particular, collisionless shocks with their reflected ions that can get upstream before retransmission can generate previously unforeseen phenomena in the post shocked flows: (i) formation of reconnecting current sheets and magnetic islands with sizes up to tens of ion inertial length. (ii) Generation of large scale low frequency electromagnetic waves that are compressed and amplified as they cross the shock. These “wavefronts” maintain their integrity for tens of ion cyclotron times but eventually disrupt and dissipate their energy. (iii) Rippling of the shock front, which can in turn lead to formation of fast collimated jets extending to hundreds of ion inertial lengths downstream of the shock. The jets, which have high dynamical pressure, “stir” the downstream region, creating large scale disturbances such as vortices, sunward flows, and can trigger flux ropes along the magnetopause. This phenomenology closes the loop between shocks, turbulence, and magnetic reconnection in ways previously unrealized. These interconnections appear generic for the collisionless plasmas typical of space and are expected even at planar shocks, although they will also occur at curved shocks as occur at planets or around ejecta.

Turbulence

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

COLLISIONLESS PLASMA

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION

ELECTRONS

MAGNETIC ISLANDS

MAGNETIC RECONNECTION

MAGNETOPAUSE

SIMULATION

Details

Title: Subtitle: The link between shocks, turbulence, and magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas
Creators: H Karimabadi - University of California, Berkeley
V Roytershteyn - SciberQuest (United States)
H. X Vu - SciberQuest (United States)
Y. A Omelchenko - University of California San Diego
J Scudder - University of Iowa
W Daughton - Los Alamos National Laboratory
A Dimmock - Aalto University
K Nykyri - Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University
M Wan - University of Delaware
D Sibeck - Goddard Space Flight Center
M Tatineni - San Diego Supercomputer Center
A Majumdar - San Diego Supercomputer Center
B Loring - University of California, Berkeley
B Geveci - Kitware (United States)
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Physics of plasmas, Vol.21(6), p.62308
DOI: 10.1063/1.4882875
ISSN: 1070-664X
eISSN: 1089-7674
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: NSF, award: 0904734
Language: English
Date published: 06/15/2014
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199930302771

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