scholarly journals Nonlinear reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode saturation due to spontaneous zonal current generation

2021 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shizhao Wei ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
Ningfei Chen ◽  
Zhiyong Qiu

General nonlinear equations describing reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode (RSAE) self-modulation via zero-frequency zonal structure (ZFZS) generation are derived using nonlinear gyrokinetic theory, which are then applied to study the spontaneous ZFZS excitation as well as RSAE nonlinear saturation. It is found that both electrostatic zonal flow and electromagnetic zonal current can be preferentially excited by finite-amplitude RSAE, depending on specific plasma parameters. The modification to local shear Alfvén wave continuum is evaluated using the derived saturation level of zonal current, which is shown to play a comparable role in saturating RSAE with the ZFZS scattering.

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Biancalani ◽  
A. Bottino ◽  
P. Lauber ◽  
A. Mishchenko ◽  
F. Vannini

Numerical simulations of Alfvén modes driven by energetic particles are performed with the gyrokinetic (GK) global particle-in-cell code ORB5. A reversed shear equilibrium magnetic field is adopted. A simplified configuration with circular flux surfaces and large aspect ratio is considered. The nonlinear saturation of beta-induced Alfvén eigenmodes (BAE) is investigated. The roles of the wave–particle nonlinearity of the different species, i.e. thermal ions, electrons and energetic ions are described, in particular for their role in the saturation of the BAE and the generation of zonal flows. The nonlinear redistribution of the electron population is found to be important in increasing the BAE saturation level and the zonal flow amplitude.


2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu. A. ZALIZNYAK ◽  
A. I. YAKIMENKO ◽  
V. M. LASHKIN

AbstractThe generation of large-scale zonal flows by small-scale electrostatic drift waves in electron temperature gradient driven turbulence model is considered. The generation mechanism is based on the modulational instability of a finite amplitude monochromatic drift wave. The threshold and growth rate of the instability as well as the optimal spatial scale of zonal flow are obtained.


1993 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiromitsu Hamabata

A class of parametric instabilities of finite-amplitude, circularly polarized Alfvén waves in a plasma with pressure anisotropy is studied by application of the CGL equations. A linear perturbation analysis is used to find the dispersion relation governing the instabilities, which is a fifth-order polynomial and is solved numerically. A large-amplitude, circularly polarized wave is unstable with respect to decay into three waves: one sound-like wave and two side-band Alfvén-like waves. It is found that, in addition to the decay instability, two new instabilities that are absent in the framework of the MHD equations can occur, depending on the plasma parameters.


2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Marié

Abstract. The problem of the linear instability of quasi-geostrophic Rossby waves to zonal flow perturbations is investigated on an infinite β-plane using a phase dynamics formalism. Equations governing the coupled evolutions of a zonal velocity perturbation and phase and amplitude perturbations of a finite-amplitude wave are obtained. The analysis is valid in the limit of infinitesimal, zonally invariant perturbation components, varying slowly in the meridional direction and with respect to time. In the case of a slow sinusoidal meridional variation of the perturbation components, analytical expressions for the perturbation growth rates are obtained, which are checked against numerical codes based on standard Floquet theory.


2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 2214-2233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Chen ◽  
Jian Lu ◽  
Lantao Sun

Abstract The mechanisms of the atmospheric response to climate forcing are analyzed using an example of uniform SST warming in an idealized aquaplanet model. A 200-member ensemble of experiments is conducted with an instantaneous uniform SST warming. The zonal mean circulation changes display a rapid poleward shift in the midlatitude eddy-driven westerlies and the edge of the Hadley cell circulation and a slow equatorward contraction of the circulation in the deep tropics. The shift of the poleward edge of the Hadley cell is predominantly controlled by the eddy momentum flux. It also shifts the eddy-driven westerlies against the surface friction, at a rate much faster than the expectation from the natural variability of the eddy-driven jet (i.e., the e-folding time scale of the annular mode), with much less feedback between the eddies and zonal flow. The transient eddy–zonal flow interactions are delineated using a newly developed finite-amplitude wave activity diagnostic of Nakamura. Applying it to the transient ensemble response to uniform SST warming reveals that the eddy-driven westerlies are shifted poleward by permitting more upward wave propagation in the middle and upper troposphere rather than reducing the lower-tropospheric baroclinicity. The increased upward wave propagation is attributed to a reduction in eddy dissipation of wave activity as a result of a weaker meridional potential vorticity (PV) gradient. The reduction allows more waves to propagate away from the latitudes of baroclinic generation, which, in turn, leads to more poleward momentum flux and a poleward shift of eddy-driven winds and Hadley cell edge.


2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung-Ji Ha ◽  
Gordon E. Swaters

Abstract The weakly nonlinear baroclinic instability characteristics of time-varying grounded abyssal flow on sloping topography with dissipation are described. Specifically, the finite-amplitude evolution of marginally unstable or stable abyssal flow both at and removed from the point of marginal stability (i.e., the minimum shear required for instability) is determined. The equations governing the evolution of time-varying dissipative abyssal flow not at the point of marginal stability are identical to those previously obtained for the Phillips model for zonal flow on a β plane. The stability problem at the point of marginally stability is fully nonlinear at leading order. A wave packet model is introduced to examine the role of dissipation and time variability in the background abyssal current. This model is a generalization of one introduced for the baroclinic instability of zonal flow on a β plane. A spectral decomposition and truncation leads, in the absence of time variability in the background flow and dissipation, to the sine–Gordon solitary wave equation that has grounded abyssal soliton solutions. The modulation characteristics of the soliton are determined when the underlying abyssal current is marginally stable or unstable and possesses time variability and/or dissipation. The theory is illustrated with examples.


2021 ◽  
Vol 923 (2) ◽  
pp. 176
Author(s):  
Nishtha Sachdeva ◽  
Gábor Tóth ◽  
Ward B. Manchester ◽  
Bart van der Holst ◽  
Zhenguang Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract To simulate solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and predict their time of arrival and geomagnetic impact, it is important to accurately model the background solar wind conditions in which CMEs propagate. We use the Alfvén Wave Solar atmosphere Model (AWSoM) within the the Space Weather Modeling Framework to simulate solar maximum conditions during two Carrington rotations and produce solar wind background conditions comparable to the observations. We describe the inner boundary conditions for AWSoM using the ADAPT global magnetic maps and validate the simulated results with EUV observations in the low corona and measured plasma parameters at L1 as well as at the position of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft. This work complements our prior AWSoM validation study for solar minimum conditions and shows that during periods of higher magnetic activity, AWSoM can reproduce the solar plasma conditions (using properly adjusted photospheric Poynting flux) suitable for providing proper initial conditions for launching CMEs.


2004 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-370
Author(s):  
I. A. Pisnichenko

Abstract. In this paper we investigate the stability of zonal flow in a baroclinic atmosphere with respect to finite-amplitude planetary-scale disturbances by applying Arnold's method. Specifically, we examine the sign of the second variation of a conserved functional for the case of a polytropic atmosphere (i.e. one with a linear lapse rate) and with a linear profile of zonal wind. Sufficient stability conditions for an infinite atmosphere (i.e. with a temperature lapse rate equal to zero) are satisfied only for an atmosphere in solid body rotation. For a polytropic atmosphere of finite extent (a lapse rate is not equal zero) the sufficient conditions of stability can be satisfied if a lid is placed below min (Zmax, polytropic atmospheric height). The dependence of height Zmax on values of the vertical gradient of the zonal wind and the zonal temperature distribution is calculated.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document