scholarly journals Ion Dynamics in the Meso-scale 3-D Kelvin–Helmholtz Instability: Perspectives From Test Particle Simulations

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuanye Ma ◽  
Peter Delamere ◽  
Katariina Nykyri ◽  
Brandon Burkholder ◽  
Stefan Eriksson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Test Particle ◽  
Acoustic Waves ◽  
Particle Simulation ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Length Scales ◽  
Ion Species

Over three decades of in-situ observations illustrate that the Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability driven by the sheared flow between the magnetosheath and magnetospheric plasma often occurs on the magnetopause of Earth and other planets under various interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. It has been well demonstrated that the KH instability plays an important role for energy, momentum, and mass transport during the solar-wind-magnetosphere coupling process. Particularly, the KH instability is an important mechanism to trigger secondary small scale (i.e., often kinetic-scale) physical processes, such as magnetic reconnection, kinetic Alfvén waves, ion-acoustic waves, and turbulence, providing the bridge for the coupling of cross scale physical processes. From the simulation perspective, to fully investigate the role of the KH instability on the cross-scale process requires a numerical modeling that can describe the physical scales from a few Earth radii to a few ion (even electron) inertial lengths in three dimensions, which is often computationally expensive. Thus, different simulation methods are required to explore physical processes on different length scales, and cross validate the physical processes which occur on the overlapping length scales. Test particle simulation provides such a bridge to connect the MHD scale to the kinetic scale. This study applies different test particle approaches and cross validates the different results against one another to investigate the behavior of different ion species (i.e., H+ and O+), which include particle distributions, mixing and heating. It shows that the ion transport rate is about 1025 particles/s, and mixing diffusion coefficient is about 1010 m2 s−1 regardless of the ion species. Magnetic field lines change their topology via the magnetic reconnection process driven by the three-dimensional KH instability, connecting two flux tubes with different temperature, which eventually causes anisotropic temperature in the newly reconnected flux.

scholarly journals Collisionless magnetic reconnection in the presence of an external driving flow

1999 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
RITOKU HORIUCHI ◽  
TETSUYA SATO
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
Collisionless Plasma ◽  
Phase Changes ◽  
Particle Simulation ◽  
Inertia Effect ◽  
Kinetic Effect ◽  
External Driving

The dynamical development of collisionless reconnection and the consequent energy-conversion process in the presence of an external driving flow are investigated by means of a full particle simulation. Magnetic reconnection develops in two steps in accordance with the formation of ion and electron current layers. In the early phase magnetic reconnection is controlled by an ion kinetic effect, while an electron kinetic effect becomes dominant in the late phase. There exist two mechanisms associated with the particle kinetic effects, that break the frozen-in condition of magnetic field and lead to magnetic reconnection in a collisionless plasma, namely a particle inertia effect and a particle thermal orbit effect. It is found that the dominant triggering mechanism in the late phase changes from an electron thermal orbit effect to an electron inertia effect as the longitudinal magnetic field increases. Electron acceleration and heating take place in the reconnection area under the influence of the reconnection electric field, while the energy conversion takes place from electrons to ions through the action of an electrostatic field excited downstream. As a result, the average ion temperature becomes about 1.5 times the average electron temperature.

Small-scale magnetic fields in turbulence: Saffman's approximation revisited

1980 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-493
Author(s):  
Ralph Baierlein
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Numerical Evaluation ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fluid Element ◽  
Relative Time ◽  
Fourier Decomposition ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Magnetic Field

The subject is the small-scale structure of a magnetic field in a turbulent conducting fluid, ‘small scale’ meaning lengths much smaller than the characteristic dissipative length of the turbulence. Philip Saffman developed an approximation to describe this structure and its evolution in time. Its usefulness invites a closer examination of the approximation itself and an attempt to place sharper limits on the numerical parameters that appear in the approximate correlation functions, topics to which the present paper is addressed.A Lagrangian approach is taken, wherein one makes a Fourier decomposition of the magnetic field in a neighbourhood that follows a fluid element. If one construes the viscous-convective range narrowly, by ignoring magnetic dissipation entirely, then results for a magnetic field in two dimensions are consistent with Saffman's approximation, but in three dimensions no steady state could be found. Thus, in three dimensions, turbulent amplification seems to be more effective than Saffman's approximation implies. The cause seems to be a matter of geometry, not of correlation times or relative time scales.Strictly-outward spectral transfer is a characteristic of Saffman's approximation, and this may be an accurate description only when dissipation suppresses the contributions from inwardly directed spectral transfer. In the spectral region where dominance passes from convection to dissipation, one can generate expressions for the parameters that arise in Saffman's approximation. Their numerical evaluation by computer simulation may enable one to sharpen the limits that Saffman had already set for those parameters.

Numerical modelling of MHD waves in the solar chromosphere

2005 ◽  
Vol 364 (1839) ◽  
pp. 395-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats Carlsson ◽  
Thomas J Bogdan
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Acoustic Waves ◽  
Mode Conversion ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Mhd Waves ◽  
Solar Chromosphere ◽  
Fast Mode ◽  
Reflected Waves ◽  
The Waves ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Acoustic waves are generated by the convective motions in the solar convection zone. When propagating upwards into the chromosphere they reach the height where the sound speed equals the Alfvén speed and they undergo mode conversion, refraction and reflection. We use numerical simulations to study these processes in realistic configurations where the wavelength of the waves is similar to the length scales of the magnetic field. Even though this regime is outside the validity of previous analytic studies or studies using ray-tracing theory, we show that some of their basic results remain valid: the critical quantity for mode conversion is the angle between the magnetic field and the k-vector: the attack angle. At angles smaller than 30° much of the acoustic, fast mode from the photosphere is transmitted as an acoustic, slow mode propagating along the field lines. At larger angles, most of the energy is refracted/reflected and returns as a fast mode creating an interference pattern between the upward and downward propagating waves. In three-dimensions, this interference between waves at small angles creates patterns with large horizontal phase speeds, especially close to magnetic field concentrations. When damping from shock dissipation and radiation is taken into account, the waves in the low–mid chromosphere have mostly the character of upward propagating acoustic waves and it is only close to the reflecting layer we get similar amplitudes for the upward propagating and refracted/reflected waves. The oscillatory power is suppressed in magnetic field concentrations and enhanced in ring-formed patterns around them. The complex interference patterns caused by mode-conversion, refraction and reflection, even with simple incident waves and in simple magnetic field geometries, make direct inversion of observables exceedingly difficult. In a dynamic chromosphere it is doubtful if the determination of mean quantities is even meaningful.

scholarly journals Acoustic oscillations in a field-free cavity under solar small-scale bipolar magnetic canopy

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 2983-2989 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kuridze ◽  
T. V. Zaqarashvili ◽  
B. M. Shergelashvili ◽  
S. Poedts
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Acoustic Waves ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Active Regions ◽  
Acoustic Power ◽  
Lower Atmosphere ◽  
Wave Number ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Acoustic Oscillations ◽  
Frequency Wave

Abstract. Observations show the increase of high-frequency wave power near magnetic network cores and active regions in the solar lower atmosphere. This phenomenon can be explained by the interaction of acoustic waves with a magnetic field. We consider small-scale, bipolar, magnetic field canopy structure near the network cores and active regions overlying field-free cylindrical cavities of the photosphere. Solving the plasma equations we get the analytical dispersion relation of acoustic oscillations in the field-free cavity area. We found that the m=1 mode, where m is azimuthal wave number, cannot be trapped under the canopy due to energy leakage upwards. However, higher (m≥2) harmonics can be easily trapped leading to the observed acoustic power halos under the canopy.

scholarly journals Theory of magnetic reconnection in solar and astrophysical plasmas

2012 ◽  
Vol 370 (1970) ◽  
pp. 3169-3192 ◽  
Author(s):  
David I. Pontin
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Astrophysical Plasmas ◽  
Current State ◽  
Fundamental Process ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Theoretical Results

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in a plasma that facilitates the release of energy stored in the magnetic field by permitting a change in the magnetic topology. In this paper, we present a review of the current state of understanding of magnetic reconnection. We discuss theoretical results regarding the formation of current sheets in complex three-dimensional magnetic fields and describe the fundamental differences between reconnection in two and three dimensions. We go on to outline recent developments in modelling of reconnection with kinetic theory, as well as in the magnetohydrodynamic framework where a number of new three-dimensional reconnection regimes have been identified. We discuss evidence from observations and simulations of Solar System plasmas that support this theory and summarize some prominent locations in which this new reconnection theory is relevant in astrophysical plasmas.

Possible Generation Mechanism for Alfvenic Velocity Spikes and Magnetic Field Switchbacks as Observed by PSP

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingyu Zhu ◽  
Jiansen He ◽  
Die Duan ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Liping Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Field Line ◽  
Magnetic Field Line ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Internal Temperature ◽  
External Temperature ◽  
Pulse Type ◽  
The Magnetic Field

<div>According to Parker's theory in the 1950s, the magnetic lines of force extending from the sun to the interplanetary appear to be Archimedean spirals. From 1960 to 1970, it was found that the interplanetary magnetic field not only follows the Archimedes spiral structure, but also has the characteristics of Alfvenic turbulence. How do these Alfvenic turbulence occur? What will be the characteristics when getting close to the Sun? Parker Solar Probe at 0.17au has found that there are often intermittent Alfvenic pulses (or called Alfvenic velocity spikes) in the solar wind. These pulses are high enough that the disturbed magnetic lines may even turn back. What's more interesting is that there is always a compressibility disturbance along with the Alfven pulse: the temperature and density inside and outside the Alfven pulse are different, the internal temperature is often higher than the external temperature, some of the internal density is higher than the external and some is lower than the external. The Alfven pulse often shows asymmetry on both sides: the magnetic field and velocity on one side are "clean" jumps, while on the other side are multiple small-scale disturbances of variables in the transition boundary layer. In view of this new phenomenon of magnetic field line switch back with compressed Alfven pulse, how it is generated is raising a hot debate. It is thought that the exchange magnetic reconnection of the solar atmosphere may be the underlying physical mechanism. But in the traditional exchange magnetic reconnection image, after reconnection, the zigzag magnetic field line can easily become smooth, which can not maintain the distortion of the magnetic field line, and may not be able to explain the observed Alfven pulses. In this work, we propose a new model called "Excitation of Alfven Pulses by Continuous Intermittent Interchange Reconnection with Guide Field Discontinuity" (EAP-CIIR-GFD). By analyzing and comparing the simulation results and observation results, we find that the model can explain the following observation features: (1) Alfven disturbance is pulse type and asymmetric; (2) Alfven pulse is compressible with the enhancement of internal temperature and the increase or decrease of the internal density; (3) Alfven pulse can cause serious distortion of the magnetic field line. Improvements to the model will also be discussed in the report.</div>

scholarly journals Tripolar electric field Structure in guide field magnetic reconnection

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Fu ◽  
Shiyong Huang ◽  
Meng Zhou ◽  
Binbin Ni ◽  
Xiaohua Deng
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Particle Simulation ◽  
Space Plasma Physics ◽  
Guide Field ◽  
Substantial Modification ◽  
Reconnection Layer ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Abstract. It has been shown that the guide field substantially modifies the structure of the reconnection layer. For instance, the Hall magnetic and electric fields are distorted in guide field reconnection compared to reconnection without guide fields (i.e., anti-parallel reconnection). In this paper, we performed 2.5-D electromagnetic full particle simulation to study the electric field structures in magnetic reconnection under different initial guide fields (Bg). Once the amplitude of a guide field exceeds 0.3 times the asymptotic magnetic field B0, the traditional bipolar Hall electric field is clearly replaced by a tripolar electric field, which consists of a newly emerged electric field and the bipolar Hall electric field. The newly emerged electric field is a convective electric field about one ion inertial length away from the neutral sheet. It arises from the disappearance of the Hall electric field due to the substantial modification of the magnetic field and electric current by the imposed guide field. The peak magnitude of this new electric field increases linearly with the increment of guide field strength. Possible applications of these results to space observations are also discussed. Keywords. Space plasma physics (magnetic reconnection)

scholarly journals Mass and energy supply of a cool coronal loop near its apex

2018 ◽  
Vol 611 ◽  
pp. A49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Limei Yan ◽  
Hardi Peter ◽  
Jiansen He ◽  
Lidong Xia ◽  
Linghua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Flux ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Transition Region ◽  
Doppler Velocity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Solar Dynamics Observatory ◽  
Plasma Properties ◽  
Flux Tubes ◽  
Magnetic Flux Tubes

Context. Different models for the heating of solar corona assume or predict different locations of the energy input: concentrated at the footpoints, at the apex, or uniformly distributed. The brightening of a loop could be due to the increase in electron density ne, the temperature T, or a mixture of both.Aim. We investigate possible reasons for the brightening of a cool loop at transition region temperatures through imaging and spectral observation.Methods. We observed a loop with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and used the slit-jaw images together with spectra taken at a fixed slit position to study the evolution of plasma properties in and below the loop. We used spectra of Si iv, which forms at around 80 000 K in equilibrium, to identify plasma motions and derive electron densities from the ratio of inter-combination lines of O IV. Additional observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) were employed to study the response at coronal temperatures (Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, AIA) and to investigate the surface magnetic field below the loop (Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, HMI).Results. The loop first appears at transition region temperatures and later also at coronal temperatures, indicating a heating of the plasma in the loop. The appearance of hot plasma in the loop coincides with a possible accelerating upflow seen in Si IV, with the Doppler velocity shifting continuously from ~−70 km s−1 to ~−265 km s−1. The 3D magnetic field lines extrapolated from the HMI magnetogram indicate possible magnetic reconnection between small-scale magnetic flux tubes below or near the loop apex. At the same time, an additional intensity enhancement near the loop apex is visible in the IRIS slit-jaw images at 1400 Å. These observations suggest that the loop is probably heated by the interaction between the loop and the upflows, which are accelerated by the magnetic reconnection between small-scale magnetic flux tubes at lower altitudes. Before and after the possible heating phase, the intensity changes in the optically thin (Si IV) and optical thick line (C II) are mainly contributed by the density variation without significant heating.Conclusions. We therefore provide evidence for the heating of an envelope loop that is affected by accelerating upflows, which are probably launched by magnetic reconnection between small-scale magnetic flux tubes underneath the envelope loop. This study emphasizes that in the complex upper atmosphere of the Sun, the dynamics of the 3D coupled magnetic field and flow field plays a key role in thermalizing 1D structures such as coronal loops.

scholarly journals Investigating 4D coronal heating events in magnetohydrodynamic simulations

2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charalambos Kanella ◽  
Boris V. Gudiksen
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Joule Heating ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Geometrical Parameters ◽  
Ohmic Dissipation ◽  
Geometrical Properties ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Context. One candidate model for heating the solar corona is magnetic reconnection that embodies Ohmic dissipation of current sheets. When numerous small-scale magnetic reconnection events occur, then it is possible to heat the corona; if ever observed, these events would have been the speculated nanoflares. Aims. Because of the limitations of current instrumentation, nanoflares cannot be resolved. But their importance is evaluated via statistics by finding the power-law index of energy distribution. This method is however biased for technical and physical reasons. We aim to overcome limitations imposed by observations and statistical analysis. This way, we identify, and study these small-scale impulsive events. Methods. We employed a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (3D MHD) simulation using the Bifrost code. We also employed a new technique to identify the evolution of 3D joule heating events in the corona. Then, we derived parameters describing the heating events in these locations, studied their geometrical properties and where they occurred with respect to the magnetic field. Results. We report on the identification of heating events. We obtain the distribution of duration, released energy, and volume. We also find weak power-law correlation between these parameters. In addition, we extract information about geometrical parameters of 2D slices of 3D events, and about the evolution of resolved joule heating compared to the total joule heating and magnetic energy in the corona. Furthermore, we identify relations between the location of heating events and the magnetic field. Conclusions. Even though the energy power index is less than 2, when classifying the energy release into three categories with respect to the energy release (pico-, nano-, and micro-events), we find that nano-events release 82% of the resolved energy. This percentage corresponds to an energy flux larger than that needed to heat the corona. Although no direct conclusions can be drawn, it seems that the most popular population among small-scale events is the one that contains nano-scale energetic events that are short lived with small spatial extend. Generally, the locations and size of heating events are affected by the magnitude of the magnetic field.

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