scholarly journals Fluctuation dynamo in a weakly collisional plasma

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. St-Onge ◽  
M. W. Kunz ◽  
J. Squire ◽  
A. A. Schekochihin
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Collisional Plasma ◽  
Mhd Equations ◽  
Saturated State ◽  
Mhd Dynamo ◽  
Pressure Anisotropy ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

The turbulent amplification of cosmic magnetic fields depends upon the material properties of the host plasma. In many hot, dilute astrophysical systems, such as the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters, the rarity of particle–particle collisions allows departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium. These departures – pressure anisotropies – exert anisotropic viscous stresses on the plasma motions that inhibit their ability to stretch magnetic-field lines. We present an extensive numerical study of the fluctuation dynamo in a weakly collisional plasma using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations endowed with a field-parallel viscous (Braginskii) stress. When the stress is limited to values consistent with a pressure anisotropy regulated by firehose and mirror instabilities, the Braginskii-MHD dynamo largely resembles its MHD counterpart, particularly when the magnetic field is dynamically weak. If instead the parallel viscous stress is left unabated – a situation relevant to recent kinetic simulations of the fluctuation dynamo and, we argue, to the early stages of the dynamo in a magnetized ICM – the dynamo changes its character, amplifying the magnetic field while exhibiting many characteristics reminiscent of the saturated state of the large-Prandtl-number ( ${Pm}\gtrsim {1}$ ) MHD dynamo. We construct an analytic model for the Braginskii-MHD dynamo in this regime, which successfully matches simulated dynamo growth rates and magnetic-energy spectra. A prediction of this model, confirmed by our numerical simulations, is that a Braginskii-MHD plasma without pressure-anisotropy limiters will not support a dynamo if the ratio of perpendicular and parallel viscosities is too small. This ratio reflects the relative allowed rates of field-line stretching and mixing, the latter of which promotes resistive dissipation of the magnetic field. In all cases that do exhibit a viable dynamo, the generated magnetic field is organized into folds that persist into the saturated state and bias the chaotic flow to acquire a scale-dependent spectral anisotropy.

scholarly journals The development of magnetic field line wander by plasma turbulence

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory G. Howes ◽  
Sofiane Bourouaine
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Field Line ◽  
Magnetic Field Line ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Plasma Turbulence ◽  
Alfven Wave ◽  
Astrophysical Plasmas ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

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 Alfvén 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.

scholarly journals Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a Uranus-at-equinox type rotating magnetosphere

2020 ◽  
Vol 633 ◽  
pp. A87 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Griton ◽  
F. Pantellini
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Supersonic Flow ◽  
Magnetic Dipole ◽  
Stellar Wind ◽  
Rotation Axis ◽  
Spin Axis ◽  
Mhd Equations ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Context. As proven by measurements at Uranus and Neptune, the magnetic dipole axis and planetary spin axis can be off by a large angle exceeding 45°. The magnetosphere of such an (exo-)planet is highly variable over a one-day period and it does potentially exhibit a complex magnetic tail structure. The dynamics and shape of rotating magnetospheres do obviously depend on the planet’s characteristics but also, and very substantially, on the orientation of the planetary spin axis with respect to the impinging, generally highly supersonic, stellar wind. Aims. On its orbit around the Sun, the orientation of Uranus’ spin axis with respect to the solar wind changes from quasi-perpendicular (solstice) to quasi-parallel (equinox). In this paper, we simulate the magnetosphere of a fictitious Uranus-like planet plunged in a supersonic plasma (the stellar wind) at equinox. A simulation with zero wind velocity is also presented in order to help disentangle the effects of the rotation from the effects of the supersonic wind in the structuring of the planetary magnetic tail. Methods. The ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in conservative form are integrated on a structured spherical grid using the Message-Passing Interface-Adaptive Mesh Refinement Versatile Advection Code (MPI-AMRVAC). In order to limit diffusivity at grid level, we used background and residual decomposition of the magnetic field. The magnetic field is thus made of the sum of a prescribed time-dependent background field B0(t) and a residual field B1(t) computed by the code. In our simulations, B0(t) is essentially made of a rigidly rotating potential dipole field. Results. The first simulation shows that, while plunged in a non-magnetised plasma, a magnetic dipole rotating about an axis oriented at 90° with respect to itself does naturally accelerate the plasma away from the dipole around the rotation axis. The acceleration occurs over a spatial scale of the order of the Alfvénic co-rotation scale r*. During the acceleration, the dipole lines become stretched and twisted. The observed asymptotic fluid velocities are of the order of the phase speed of the fast MHD mode. In two simulations where the surrounding non-magnetised plasma was chosen to move at supersonic speed perpendicularly to the rotation axis (a situation that is reminiscent of Uranus in the solar wind at equinox), the lines of each hemisphere are symmetrically twisted and stretched as before. However, they are also bent by the supersonic flow, thus forming a magnetic tail of interlaced field lines of opposite polarity. Similarly to the case with no wind, the interlaced field lines and the attached plasma are accelerated by the rotation and also by the transfer of kinetic energy flux from the surrounding supersonic flow. The tailwards fluid velocity increases asymptotically towards the externally imposed flow velocity, or wind. In one more simulation, a transverse magnetic field, to both the spin axis and flow direction, was added to the impinging flow so that magnetic reconnection could occur between the dipole anchored field lines and the impinging field lines. No major difference with respect to the no-magnetised flow case is observed, except that the tailwards acceleration occurs in two steps and is slightly more efficient. In order to emphasise the effect of rotation, we only address the case of a fast-rotating planet where the co-rotation scale r* is of the order of the planetary counter-flow magnetopause stand-off distance rm. For Uranus, r*≫ rm and the effects of rotation are only visible at large tailwards distances r ≫ rm.

scholarly journals Nonlinear equilibrium structure of thin currents sheets: influence of electron pressure anisotropy

2004 ◽  
Vol 11 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 579-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Zelenyi ◽  
H. V. Malova ◽  
V. Yu. Popov ◽  
D. Delcourt ◽  
A. S. Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Plasma Pressure ◽  
Quasi Equilibrium ◽  
Electrostatic Effects ◽  
Current Sheets ◽  
Thin Current Sheet ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Abstract. Thin current sheets represent important and puzzling sites of magnetic energy storage and subsequent fast release. Such structures are observed in planetary magnetospheres, solar atmosphere and are expected to be widespread in nature. The thin current sheet structure resembles a collapsing MHD solution with a plane singularity. Being potential sites of effective energy accumulation, these structures have received a good deal of attention during the last decade, especially after the launch of the multiprobe CLUSTER mission which is capable of resolving their 3D features. Many theoretical models of thin current sheet dynamics, including the well-known current sheet bifurcation, have been developed recently. A self-consistent 1D analytical model of thin current sheets in which the tension of the magnetic field lines is balanced by the ion inertia rather than by the plasma pressure gradients was developed earlier. The influence of the anisotropic electron population and of the corresponding electrostatic field that acts to restore quasi-neutrality of the plasma is taken into account. It is assumed that the electron motion is fluid-like in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field and fast enough to support quasi-equilibrium Boltzmann distribution along the field lines. Electrostatic effects lead to an interesting feature of the current density profile inside the current sheet, i.e. a narrow sharp peak of electron current in the very center of the sheet due to fast curvature drift of the particles in this region. The corresponding magnetic field profile becomes much steeper near the neutral plane although the total cross-tail current is in all cases dominated by the ion contribution. The dependence of electrostatic effects on the ion to electron temperature ratio, the curvature of the magnetic field lines, and the average electron magnetic moment is also analyzed. The implications of these effects on the fine structure of thin current sheets and their potential impact on substorm dynamics are presented.

scholarly journals General relativistic magnetic perturbations and dynamo effects in extragalactic radiosources

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S274) ◽  
pp. 393-397
Author(s):  
L. C. Garcia de Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Magnetic Fluctuations ◽  
Dynamo Action ◽  
Magnetic Contrast ◽  
Mhd Dynamo ◽  
Curvature Energy ◽  
Induction Equation ◽  
The Universe ◽  
The Magnetic Field

AbstractBy making use of the MHD self-induction equation in general relativity (GR), recently derived by Clarkson and Marklund (2005), it is shown that when Friedmann universe possesses a spatial section whose Riemannian curvature is negative, the magnetic energy bounds computed by Nuñez (2002) also bounds the growth rate of the magnetic field given by the strain matrix of dynamo flow. Since in GR-MHD dynamo equation, the Ricci tensor couples with the universe magnetic field, only through diffusion, and most ages are highly conductive the interest is more theoretical here, and only very specific plasma astrophysical problems can be address such as in laboratory plasmas. Magnetic fields and the negative curvature of some isotropic cosmologies, contribute to enhence the amplification of the magnetic field. Ricci curvature energy is shown to add to strain matrix of the flow, to enhance dynamo action in the universe. Magnetic fluctuations of the Clarkson-Marklund equations for a constant magnetic field seed in highly conductive flat universes, leads to a magnetic contrast of ≈ 2, which is well within observational limits from extragalactic radiosources of ≈ 1.7. In the magnetic helicity fluctuations the magnetic contrast shows that the dynamo effects can be driven by these fluctuations.

The nonlinear breakup of a magnetic layer: instability to interchange modes

1988 ◽  
Vol 196 ◽  
pp. 323-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Cattaneo ◽  
D. W. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Uniform Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Layer ◽  
Mhd Equations ◽  
Strong Interactions ◽  
Compressible Mhd Equations ◽  
Rayleigh Taylor Instability ◽  
Basic States ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Motivated by considerations of the solar toroidal magnetic field we have studied the behaviour of a layer of uniform magnetic field embedded in a convectively stable atmosphere. Since the field can support extra mass, such a configuration is top-heavy and thus instabilities of the Rayleigh-Taylor type can occur. For both static and rotating basic states we have followed the evolution of the interchange modes (no bending of the field lines) by integrating numerically the nonlinear compressible MHD equations. The initial Rayleigh-Taylor instability of the magnetic field gives instabilities to strong shearing motions, thereby exciting secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities which wrap the gas into regions of intense vorticity. The subsequent motions are determined primarily by the strong interactions between vortices which are responsible for the rapid disruption of the magnetic layer.

scholarly journals Large polar caps for twisted magnetosphere of magnetars

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Tong
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Field Line ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Open Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Open Field Line ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy Release

Abstract The magnetic field of magnetars may be twisted compared with that of normal pulsars. Previous works mainly discussed magnetic energy release in the closed field line regions of magnetars. For a twisted magnetic field, the field lines will inflate in the radial direction. Similar to normal pulsars, the idea of light cylinder radius is introduced. More field lines will cross the light cylinder and become open for a twisted magnetic field. Therefore, magnetars may have a large polar cap, which may correspond to the hot spot during outburst. Particle flow in the open field line regions will result in the untwisting of the magnetic field. Magnetic energy release in the open field line regions can be calculated. The model calculations can catch the general trend of magnetar outburst: decreasing X-ray luminosity, shrinking hot spot etc. For magnetic energy release in the open field line regions, the geometry will be the same for different outburst in one magnetar.

scholarly journals A Storage Process of the Magnetic Energy in the Space Active Regions and Stellar Atmosphere

1990 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 17-19
Author(s):  
Li Zhongyuan
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Stellar Atmosphere ◽  
Mhd Equations ◽  
Static Force ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Image Position ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Force Free Field

A few authors (Barnes and Sturrock, 1972; Ma, 1977; Svestka, 1977) have calculated the quantitative relationship between the static force-free field connecting the magnetic field and the twisting processes. They pointed out that the potential magnetic field without the current may be twisted into the force-free field with the enhanced current produced by the plasma rotation. Li et al. (1982) and Li and Hu (1984) have stated that the processes should be unsteady, and especially that they should not be static. The magnetic Reynold number is usually much larger than 100 in stellar atmosphere (Li et al., 1982). We adopt the following MHD equations: where the force - free factor α (t, r) depends on both, t and r. According to t h e kinematical momentum conservation, the following constraint is easily obtained: where V = (u, v, w) is the velocity field in the cylindrical coordinates. When studying the evolution of the kinematical force - free field, the in fluence of a reasonable flow on the variations of the magnetic field should be taken into account. After some reasonable simplification we deduce the specific expression of the variation law of the toroidal magnetic energy where J1 is the Bessel function of the first order. In the active region, magnetic energy including the term of a twisted effect f(t) is larger than that of the static force - free field.

Ganymede’s magnetic footprint mapping: Modeling and HST observations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatphicha Promfu ◽  
Suwicha Wannawichian ◽  
Jonathan Nichols ◽  
John Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Plasma Pressure ◽  
Magnetic Field Mapping ◽  
Hot Plasma ◽  
Pressure Anisotropy ◽  
Magnetic Field Model ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

<p>In this work, the locations of observed Ganymede’s magnetic footprint were compared with the locations predicted by the magnetic field model under different plasma conditions. The shifts of Ganymede's magnetic footprint locations from average footpath given by Grodent et al. (2008) were analyzed. The average path is created from about 1000 images taken by instruments onboarded Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The position shifts indicate the variation of magnetic field line mapping from Ganymede to Jupiter’s ionosphere. The two sets of data from HST were analyzed to obtain the locations of Ganymede’s magnetic footprint in 2007 and 2016. For both sets of data, at longitude ranging approximately from 170° to 180°, we found that the locations were significantly shifted in poleward direction between 0.5° to 2° from the average footpath. Different from data in May 2007, the Ganymede’s magnetic footprint locations in May 2016 at longitude about 160° could possibly locate in equatorward direction. At orbital distance of Ganymede about 15 R<sub>J</sub>, in Jupiter’s middle magnetosphere, there is strong influence of plasma, whose major source is Io’s volcanic eruptions. Thus, the variations of plasma resulting in the stretching of magnetic field lines affect the magnetic field mapping from Ganymede to ionosphere. Furthermore, based on the magnetodisc model, the hot plasma pressure anisotropy strongly influences the stretching of the field lines and the mapped locations of Ganymede’s footprint in ionosphere to be shifted in either poleward or equatorward directions. In this study, we detected both poleward and equatorward shifts in different observations, whose connection with the plasma environment in the middle magnetosphere awaits for further study.</p>

scholarly journals The Effects of a Weak Magnetic Field in the Line Profiles of A-type Supergiant Winds

2002 ◽  
Vol 185 ◽  
pp. 574-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Verdugo ◽  
A. de Castro Gómez ◽  
C. Ferro-Fontán ◽  
A. Talavera
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Radiation Pressure ◽  
Mhd Equations ◽  
Stellar Winds ◽  
Line Profiles ◽  
A Value ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Intense Radiation ◽  
Open Magnetic Field

Solutions for the stellar winds of hot luminous stars are obtained by solving the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations, combined with the theory of radiation-driven winds. The formalism is basically the same as developed by Rotstein & Giménez de Castro (1996). We have considered the interaction of radiation pressure with an open magnetic field . The magnetic field lines are pushed by the intense radiation field and adopt a purely radial configuration:and the polar magnetic flux at the photosphere:Rotstein & Giménez de Castro (1996) assume all the lines contributing to the radiation pressure are optically thick (α = 1) in order to decouple the MHD equations. Here the model has been improved to adopt a value of α = 0.6 which is a better approach for A-supergiants.

scholarly journals The fast transit-time limit of magnetic pumping with trapped electrons

2021 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Egedal ◽  
E. Lichko
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Transit Time ◽  
Kinetic Equations ◽  
Nonlinear Effects ◽  
Time Limit ◽  
Superthermal Electrons ◽  
Pressure Anisotropy ◽  
Magnetic Perturbations ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Recently, the energization of superthermal electrons at the Earth's bow shock was found to be consistent with a new magnetic pumping model derived in the limit where the electron transit time is much shorter than any time scale governing the evolution of the magnetic fields. The new model breaks with the common approach of integrating the kinetic equations along unperturbed orbits. Rather, the fast transit-time limit allows the electron dynamics to be characterized by adiabatic invariants (action variables) accurately capturing the nonlinear effects of electrons becoming trapped in magnetic perturbations. Without trapping, fast parallel streaming along magnetic field lines causes the electron pressure to be isotropized and homogeneous along the magnetic field lines. In contrast, trapping permits spatially varying pressure anisotropy to form along the magnetic field lines, and through a Fermi process this pressure anisotropy in turn becomes the main ingredient that renders magnetic pumping efficient for energizing superthermal electrons. We here present a detailed mathematical derivation of the model.

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