Statistics of magnetic field fluctuations in a partially ionized space plasma

DOI10.1016/J.PHYSLETA.2010.05.030MaRDI QIDQ455242zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Dastgeer Shaikh

Publication date 4 October 2012

Published in Physics Letters. A (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1005.1408

zbMATH Keywords

supersonic solar wind plasmatime-dependent multifluid model

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Stability and instability of geophysical and astrophysical flows (76E20) Three or more component flows (76T30) Ionized gas flow in electromagnetic fields; plasmic flow (76X05)

Abstract: {em Voyager 1} and {em 2} data reveals that magnetic field fluctuations are compressive and exhibit a Gaussian distribution in the compressed heliosheath plasma, whereas they follow a lognormal distribution in a nearly incompressible supersonic solar wind plasma. To describe the evolution of magnetic field, we develop a nonlinear simulation model of a partially ionized plasma based on two dimensional time-dependent multifluid model. Our model self-consistently describes solar wind plasma ions, electrons, neutrals and pickup ions. It is found from our simulations that the magnetic field evolution is governed by mode conversion process that leads to the suppression of vortical modes, whereas the compressive modes are amplified. An implication of the mode conversion process is to quench the Alfv'enic interactions associated with the vortical motions. Consequently anisotropic cascades are reduced. This is accompanied by the amplification of compressional modes that tend to isotropize the plasma fluctuations and lead to a Gaussian distribution of the magnetic field.

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