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Manzini D, Sahraoui F, Califano F. Cascade-Dissipation Balance in Astrophysical Plasmas: Insights from the Terrestrial Magnetosheath. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:235201. [PMID: 38905675 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.235201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
The differential heating of electrons and ions by turbulence in weakly collisional magnetized plasmas and the scales at which such energy dissipation is most effective are still debated. Using a large data sample measured in Earth's magnetosheath by the magnetospheric multiscale mission and the coarse-grained energy equations derived from the Vlasov-Maxwell system, we find evidence of a balance over two decades in scales between the energy cascade and dissipation rates. The decline of the cascade rate at kinetic scales (in contrast with a constant one in the inertial range), is balanced by an increasing ion and electron heating rates, estimated via the pressure strain. Ion scales are found to contribute most effectively to ion heating, while electron heating originates from both ion and electron scales. These results can potentially impact the current understanding of particle heating in turbulent magnetized plasmas as well as their theoretical and numerical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Manzini
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP), CNRS, École Polytechnique, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris-Saclay, Observatoire de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
- Dipartimento di Fisica E. Fermi, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - F Sahraoui
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP), CNRS, École Polytechnique, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris-Saclay, Observatoire de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - F Califano
- Dipartimento di Fisica E. Fermi, University of Pisa, Italy
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2
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Manzini D, Sahraoui F, Califano F. Subion-Scale Turbulence Driven by Magnetic Reconnection. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:205201. [PMID: 37267550 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.205201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The interplay between plasma turbulence and magnetic reconnection remains an unsettled question in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. Here, we report the first observational evidence that magnetic reconnection drives subion-scale turbulence in magnetospheric plasmas by transferring energy to small scales. We employ a spatial "coarse-grained" model of Hall magnetohydrodynamics, enabling us to measure the nonlinear energy transfer rate across scale ℓ at position x. Its application to Magnetospheric Multiscale mission data shows that magnetic reconnection drives intense energy transfer to subion-scales. This observational evidence is remarkably supported by the results from Hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell simulations of turbulence to which the coarse-grained model is also applied. These results can potentially answer some open questions on plasma turbulence in planetary environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Manzini
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP), CNRS, École Polytechnique, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris-Saclay, Observatoire de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
- Dipartimento di Fisica "Enrico Fermi," Università di Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - F Sahraoui
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP), CNRS, École Polytechnique, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris-Saclay, Observatoire de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - F Califano
- Dipartimento di Fisica "Enrico Fermi," Università di Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
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3
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Li JH, Yang F, Zhou XZ, Zong QG, Artemyev AV, Rankin R, Shi Q, Yao S, Liu H, He J, Pu Z, Xiao C, Liu J, Pollock C, Le G, Burch JL. Self-consistent kinetic model of nested electron- and ion-scale magnetic cavities in space plasmas. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5616. [PMID: 33154395 PMCID: PMC7644639 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19442-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
NASA’s Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) mission is designed to explore the proton- and electron-gyroscale kinetics of plasma turbulence where the bulk of particle acceleration and heating takes place. Understanding the nature of cross-scale structures ubiquitous as magnetic cavities is important to assess the energy partition, cascade and conversion in the plasma universe. Here, we present theoretical insight into magnetic cavities by deriving a self-consistent, kinetic theory of these coherent structures. By taking advantage of the multipoint measurements from the MMS constellation, we demonstrate that our kinetic model can utilize magnetic cavity observations by one MMS spacecraft to predict measurements from a second/third spacecraft. The methodology of “observe and predict” validates the theory we have derived, and confirms that nested magnetic cavities are self-organized plasma structures supported by trapped proton and electron populations in analogous to the classical theta-pinches in laboratory plasmas. Magnetic cavities play important roles in the energy cascade, conversion and dissipation in turbulent plasmas. Here, the authors show a theoretical insight into magnetic cavities by deriving a self-consistent, kinetic theory of these coherent structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Huan Li
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Yang
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Xu-Zhi Zhou
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
| | - Qiu-Gang Zong
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
| | - Anton V Artemyev
- Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
| | - Robert Rankin
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G2G7, Canada
| | - Quanqi Shi
- Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, 264209, China
| | - Shutao Yao
- Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, 264209, China
| | - Han Liu
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Jiansen He
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Zuyin Pu
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Chijie Xiao
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ji Liu
- National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | | | - Guan Le
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
| | - James L Burch
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78238, USA
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Bandyopadhyay R, Matthaeus WH, Parashar TN, Yang Y, Chasapis A, Giles BL, Gershman DJ, Pollock CJ, Russell CT, Strangeway RJ, Torbert RB, Moore TE, Burch JL. Statistics of Kinetic Dissipation in the Earth's Magnetosheath: MMS Observations. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:255101. [PMID: 32639771 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.255101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A familiar problem in space and astrophysical plasmas is to understand how dissipation and heating occurs. These effects are often attributed to the cascade of broadband turbulence which transports energy from large scale reservoirs to small scale kinetic degrees of freedom. When collisions are infrequent, local thermodynamic equilibrium is not established. In this case the final stage of energy conversion becomes more complex than in the fluid case, and both pressure-dilatation and pressure strain interactions (Pi-D≡-Π_{ij}D_{ij}) become relevant and potentially important. Pi-D in plasma turbulence has been studied so far primarily using simulations. The present study provides a statistical analysis of Pi-D in the Earth's magnetosheath using the unique measurement capabilities of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. We find that the statistics of Pi-D in this naturally occurring plasma environment exhibit strong resemblance to previously established fully kinetic simulations results. The conversion of energy is concentrated in space and occurs near intense current sheets, but not within them. This supports recent suggestions that the chain of energy transfer channels involves regional, rather than pointwise, correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riddhi Bandyopadhyay
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - William H Matthaeus
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA and Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Tulasi N Parashar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Yan Yang
- Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Alexandros Chasapis
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, USA
| | - Barbara L Giles
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Roy B Torbert
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA
| | - Thomas E Moore
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
| | - James L Burch
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas 78238-5166, USA
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Bandyopadhyay R, Sorriso-Valvo L, Chasapis A, Hellinger P, Matthaeus WH, Verdini A, Landi S, Franci L, Matteini L, Giles BL, Gershman DJ, Moore TE, Pollock CJ, Russell CT, Strangeway RJ, Torbert RB, Burch JL. In Situ Observation of Hall Magnetohydrodynamic Cascade in Space Plasma. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:225101. [PMID: 32567898 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.225101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
We present estimates of the turbulent energy-cascade rate derived from a Hall-magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) third-order law. We compute the contribution from the Hall term and the MHD term to the energy flux. Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) data accumulated in the magnetosheath and the solar wind are compared with previously established simulation results. Consistent with the simulations, we find that at large (MHD) scales, the MMS observations exhibit a clear inertial range dominated by the MHD flux. In the subion range, the cascade continues at a diminished level via the Hall term, and the change becomes more pronounced as the plasma beta increases. Additionally, the MHD contribution to interscale energy transfer remains important at smaller scales than previously thought. Possible reasons are offered for this unanticipated result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riddhi Bandyopadhyay
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Luca Sorriso-Valvo
- Departamento de Física, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, 170517 Quito, Ecuador and Istituto per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Plasmi, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 87036 Bari, Italy
| | - Alexandros Chasapis
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, USA
| | - Petr Hellinger
- Astronomical Institute, CAS, Bocni II/1401, CZ-14100 Prague, Czech Republic and Institute of Atmospheric Physics, CAS, Bocni II/1401, CZ-14100 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - William H Matthaeus
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA and Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Andrea Verdini
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, 50125 Firenze, Italy and INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italy
| | - Simone Landi
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, 50125 Firenze, Italy and INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italy
| | - Luca Franci
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom and INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Matteini
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France and INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italy
| | - Barbara L Giles
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
| | | | - Thomas E Moore
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
| | | | | | | | - Roy B Torbert
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA
| | - James L Burch
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas 78238-5166, USA
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Teodorescu E, Echim M. Open-Source Software Analysis Tool to Investigate Space Plasma Turbulence and Nonlinear DYNamics (ODYN). EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2020; 7:e2019EA001004. [PMID: 32715025 PMCID: PMC7375156 DOI: 10.1029/2019ea001004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We have designed and built a versatile modularized software library-ODYN-that wraps a comprehensive set of advanced data analysis methods meant to facilitate the study of turbulence, nonlinear dynamics, and complexity in space plasmas. The Python programming language is used for the algorithmic implementation of models and methods devised to understand fundamental phenomena of space plasma physics like elements of spectral analysis, probability distribution functions and their moments, multifractal analysis, or information theory. ODYN is an open-source software analysis tool and freely available to any user interested in turbulence and nonlinear dynamics analysis and provides a tool to perform automatic analysis on large collections of space measurements, in situ or simulations, a feature that distinguishes ODYN from other similar software. A user-friendly configurator is provided, which allows customization of key parameters of the analysis methods, most useful for nonprogrammers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M.M. Echim
- Institute of Space Science (ISS)MăgureleRomania
- The Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA‐IASB)BrusselsBelgium
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Coupling Large Eddies and Waves in Turbulence: Case Study of Magnetic Helicity at the Ion Inertial Scale. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11020203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In turbulence, for neutral or conducting fluids, a large ratio of scales is excited because of the possible occurrence of inverse cascades to large, global scales together with direct cascades to small, dissipative scales, as observed in the atmosphere and oceans, or in the solar environment. In this context, using direct numerical simulations with forcing, we analyze scale dynamics in the presence of magnetic fields with a generalized Ohm’s law including a Hall current. The ion inertial length ϵ H serves as the control parameter at fixed Reynolds number. Both the magnetic and generalized helicity—invariants in the ideal case—grow linearly with time, as expected from classical arguments. The cross-correlation between the velocity and magnetic field grows as well, more so in relative terms for a stronger Hall current. We find that the helical growth rates vary exponentially with ϵ H , provided the ion inertial scale resides within the inverse cascade range. These exponential variations are recovered phenomenologically using simple scaling arguments. They are directly linked to the wavenumber power-law dependence of generalized and magnetic helicity, ∼ k − 2 , in their inverse ranges. This illustrates and confirms the important role of the interplay between large and small scales in the dynamics of turbulent flows.
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Andrés N, Sahraoui F, Galtier S, Hadid LZ, Ferrand R, Huang SY. Energy Cascade Rate Measured in a Collisionless Space Plasma with MMS Data and Compressible Hall Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence Theory. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 123:245101. [PMID: 31922873 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.123.245101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The first complete estimation of the compressible energy cascade rate |ϵ_{C}| at magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and subion scales is obtained in Earth's magnetosheath using Magnetospheric MultiScale spacecraft data and an exact law derived recently for compressible Hall MHD turbulence. A multispacecraft technique is used to compute the velocity and magnetic gradients, and then all the correlation functions involved in the exact relation. It is shown that when the density fluctuations are relatively small, |ϵ_{C}| identifies well with its incompressible analog |ϵ_{I}| at MHD scales but becomes much larger than |ϵ_{I}| at subion scales. For larger density fluctuations, |ϵ_{C}| is larger than |ϵ_{I}| at every scale with a value significantly higher than for smaller density fluctuations. Our study reveals also that for both small and large density fluctuations, the nonflux terms remain always negligible with respect to the flux terms and that the major contribution to |ϵ_{C}| at subion scales comes from the compressible Hall flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Andrés
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, École Polytechnique, CNRS, Sorbonne University, Observatoire de Paris, Univ. Paris-Sud, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
- Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio, CONICET-UBA, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UBA, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - F Sahraoui
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, École Polytechnique, CNRS, Sorbonne University, Observatoire de Paris, Univ. Paris-Sud, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - S Galtier
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, École Polytechnique, CNRS, Sorbonne University, Observatoire de Paris, Univ. Paris-Sud, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 2201 France
| | - L Z Hadid
- European Space Agency, ESTEC, 75231 Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | - R Ferrand
- Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, École Polytechnique, CNRS, Sorbonne University, Observatoire de Paris, Univ. Paris-Sud, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - S Y Huang
- School of Electronic and Information, Wuhan University, 430072 Wuhan, China
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Hadid LZ, Sahraoui F, Galtier S, Huang SY. Compressible Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in the Earth's Magnetosheath: Estimation of the Energy Cascade Rate Using in situ Spacecraft Data. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 120:055102. [PMID: 29481187 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.120.055102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The first estimation of the energy cascade rate |ε_{C}| of magnetosheath turbulence is obtained using the Cluster and THEMIS spacecraft data and an exact law of compressible isothermal magnetohydrodynamics turbulence. The mean value of |ε_{C}| is found to be close to 10^{-13} J m^{-3} s^{-1}, at least 2 orders of magnitude larger than its value in the solar wind (∼10^{-16} J m^{-3} s^{-1} in the fast wind). Two types of turbulence are evidenced and shown to be dominated either by incompressible Alfvénic or compressible magnetosoniclike fluctuations. Density fluctuations are shown to amplify the cascade rate and its spatial anisotropy in comparison with incompressible Alfvénic turbulence. Furthermore, for compressible magnetosonic fluctuations, large cascade rates are found to lie mostly near the linear kinetic instability of the mirror mode. New empirical power-laws relating |ε_{C}| to the turbulent Mach number and to the internal energy are evidenced. These new findings have potential applications in distant astrophysical plasmas that are not accessible to in situ measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Z Hadid
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics, SE 751 21, Uppsala, Sweden and LPP, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Paris-Sud, Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, PSL Research University, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - F Sahraoui
- LPP, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Paris-Sud, Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, PSL Research University, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - S Galtier
- LPP, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Paris-Sud, Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, PSL Research University, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - S Y Huang
- School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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