Mirror Instability in the Turbulent Solar Wind
File(s)1703.07377v1.pdf (2.59 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Hellinger, Petr
Landi, Simone
Matteini, Lorenzo
Verdini, Andrea
Franci, Luca
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The relationship between a decaying strong turbulence and the mirror instability in a slowly expanding plasma is investigated using two-dimensional hybrid expanding box simulations. We impose an initial ambient magnetic field perpendicular to the simulation box, and we start with a spectrum of large-scale, linearly polarized, random-phase Alfvénic fluctuations that have energy equipartition between kinetic and magnetic fluctuations and a vanishing correlation between the two fields. A turbulent cascade rapidly develops, magnetic field fluctuations exhibit a Kolmogorov-like power-law spectrum at large scales and a steeper spectrum at sub-ion scales. The imposed expansion (taking a strictly transverse ambient magnetic field) leads to the generation of an important perpendicular proton temperature anisotropy that eventually drives the mirror instability. This instability generates large-amplitude, nonpropagating, compressible, pressure-balanced magnetic structures in a form of magnetic enhancements/humps that reduce the perpendicular temperature anisotropy.
Date Issued
2017-04-05
Date Acceptance
2017-03-17
Citation
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2017, 838 (2)
ISSN
0004-637X
Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTD
Journal / Book Title
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Volume
838
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2017 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The definitive publisher authenticated version is available online at https://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa67e0
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000399137400007&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
instabilities
solar wind
turbulence
waves
RESOLUTION HYBRID SIMULATIONS
LINEAR INSTABILITY
PLASMA TURBULENCE
MODE STRUCTURES
ION SCALES
MAGNETOSHEATH
ANISOTROPY
EXPANSION
THRESHOLD
CLUSTER
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 158
Date Publish Online
2017-04-05