Counterstreaming strahls and dropouts observed in pitch angle distributions of suprathermal electrons as possible signatures of local particle acceleration in the solar wind

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Khabarova ◽  
Valentina Zharkova ◽  
Qian Xia ◽  
Olga Malandraki
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Solar Corona ◽  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Magnetic Islands ◽  
Solar Origin ◽  
Suprathermal Electrons ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Energy Channels

<p>We present multi-spacecraft observations of pitch-angle distributions (PADs) of suprathermal electrons at ~1 AU which cannot be easily interpreted within the classical paradigm that all suprathermal electrons originate in the solar corona. We suggest that suprathermal electrons accelerated locally in the solar wind are mixed up with the well-known population of electrons of solar origin. Using PIC simulations, we show that key PAD features such as (i) heat flux dropouts and vertical PAD stripes encompassing reconnecting current sheets (RCSs), (ii) bi-directionality of strahls, and (iii) dramatically different PAD patterns observed in different energy channels can be explained by the behavior of electrons accelerated up to hundreds eV directly in the solar wind while thermal particles pass through local RCSs and/or dynamical 3D plasmoids (or 2D magnetic islands).</p>

Effects of local particle acceleration in the solar wind

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Khabarova ◽  
Valentina Zharkova ◽  
Qian Xia ◽  
Olga Malandraki
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Heliospheric Current Sheet ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Magnetic Islands ◽  
Solar Origin ◽  
Suprathermal Electrons ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Accelerated Particles

<p>Recent observational and theoretical studies have shown that there is an unaccounted population of electrons and protons accelerated locally to suprathermal energies at reconnecting current sheets (RCSs) and 3-D dynamical plasmoids or 2-D magnetic islands (MIs) in the solar wind. The findings can be summarized as following: (i) RCSs are often subject to instabilities breaking those into 3D small-scale plasmoids/blobs or 2D magnetic islands (MIs) with multiple X- and O-nullpoints; (ii) RCSs and dynamical MIs can accelerate particles up to the MeV/nuc energies; (iii) accelerated particles may form clouds expanding far from a reconnecting region; and (iv) bi-directional(or counterstreaming) strahls observed in pitch-angle distributions (PADs) of suprathermal electrons may simply represent a signature of magnetic reconnection occurring at closed IMF structures (e.g., MIs), not necessarily connected to the Sun (Zharkova & Khabarova, 2012, 2015; Zank et al. 2014, 2015; Khabarova et al. 2015, 2016, 2017; 2018; le Roux 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019; Khabarova & Zank, 2017; Adhikari et al. 2019; Xia & Zharkova, 2018, 2020; Malandraki et al. 2019; Mingalev et al. 2019). We will briefly present an overview of the effects of local ion acceleration as observed at different heliocentric distances and focus on the impact of the locally-borne population of suprathermal electrons on typical patterns of PADs. </p><p>Suprathermal electrons with energies of ~70eV and above are observed at 1 AU as dispersionless halo and magnetic field-aligned beams of strahls. For a long time, it has been thought that both populations originate only from the solar corona. This view has consequently impacted interpretation of typical patterns of suprathermal electron PADs observed in the solar wind. We present multi-spacecraft observations of counterstreaming strahls and dropouts in PADs within a previously reported region filled with plasmoids and RCSs, comparing observed PAD features with those predicted by PIC simulations extended to heliospheric conditions. We show typical features of PADs determined by acceleration of the ambient thermal electrons up to suprathermal energies in single RCSs and dynamical plasmoids. Our study suggests that locally-accelerated suprathermal electrons co-exist with those of solar origin. Therefore, some heat flux dropout and bi-directional strahl events observed in the heliosphere can be explained by local dynamical processes involving magnetic reconnection. Possible implications of the results for the interpretation of the strahl/halo relative density change with heliocentric distance and puzzling features of suprathermal electrons observed at crossings of the heliospheric current sheet and cometary comas are also discussed.</p>

Particle-In-Cell simulations of resonant interactions between whistler waves and electrons in the near-Sun solar wind: scattering of the strahl into the halo and heat flux regulation.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Micera ◽  
Andrei Zhukov ◽  
Rodrigo A. López ◽  
Maria Elena Innocenti ◽  
Marian Lazar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Heat Flux ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Velocity Distribution ◽  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Electron Velocity ◽  
Magnetic Field Direction ◽  
Whistler Waves ◽  
Electron Velocity Distribution ◽  
Particle In Cell

<p>Electron velocity distribution functions, initially composed of core and strahl populations as typically encountered in the near-Sun solar wind and as recently observed by Parker Solar Probe, have been modeled via fully kinetic Particle-In-Cell simulations. It has been demonstrated that, as a consequence of the evolution of the electron velocity distribution function, two branches of the whistler heat flux instability can be excited, which can drive whistler waves propagating in the direction parallel or oblique to the background magnetic field. First, the strahl undergoes pitch-angle scattering with oblique whistler waves, which provokes the reduction of the strahl drift velocity and the simultaneous broadening of its pitch angle distribution. Moreover, the interaction with the oblique whistler waves results in the scattering towards higher perpendicular velocities of resonant strahl electrons and in the appearance of a suprathermal halo population which, at higher energies, deviates from the Maxwellian distribution. Later on, the excited whistler waves shift towards smaller angles of propagation and secondary scattering processes with quasi-parallel whistler waves lead to a redistribution of the scattered particles into a more symmetric halo. All processes are accompanied by a significant decrease of the heat flux carried by the strahl population along the magnetic field direction, although the strongest heat flux rate decrease is simultaneous with the propagation of the oblique whistler waves.</p>

scholarly journals SMALL-SCALE MAGNETIC ISLANDS IN THE SOLAR WIND AND THEIR ROLE IN PARTICLE ACCELERATION. I. DYNAMICS OF MAGNETIC ISLANDS NEAR THE HELIOSPHERIC CURRENT SHEET

2015 ◽  
Vol 808 (2) ◽  
pp. 181 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Khabarova ◽  
G. P. Zank ◽  
G. Li ◽  
J. A. le Roux ◽  
G. M. Webb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Heliospheric Current Sheet ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Magnetic Islands

Neural network applications in geomagnetic storm prognosis based on the pre-storm occurrence of magnetic islands in the solar wind

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail Fridman
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Geomagnetic Storm ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Geomagnetic Storms ◽  
Pattern Search ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Magnetic Islands ◽  
Solar Wind Density

<p>So far, the problem of a short-term forecast of geomagnetic storms can be considered as solved. Meanwhile, mid-term prognoses of geomagnetic storms with an advance time from 3 hours to 3 days are still unsuccessful (see  https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/u30/Max%20Kp%20and%20GPRA.pdf).</p><p> This fact suggests a necessity of looking for specific processes in the solar wind preceding geomagnetic storms. Knowing that magnetic cavities filled with magnetic islands and current sheets are formed in front of high-speed streams of any type (Khabarova et al., 2015, 2016, 2018; Adhikari et al., 2019), we have performed an analysis of the corresponding ULF variations in the solar wind density observed at the Earth's orbit from hours to days before the arrival of a geoeffective stream or flow. The fact of the occurrence of ULF-precursors of geomagnetic storms was noticed a long time ago (Khabarova 2007; Khabarova & Yermolaev, 2007) and related prognostic methods were recently developed (Kogai et al. 2019), while the problem of automatization of the prognosis remained unsolved.</p><p> A new geomagnetic storm forecast method, which employs a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) for an automatic pattern search, is proposed. An ability of self-teaching and extracting deeply hidden non-linear patterns is the main advantage of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) with multiple layers over traditional Machine Learning methods. We show a success of the RNN method, using either the unprocessed solar wind density data or Wavelet analysis coefficients as the input parameter for a DNN to perform an automatic mid-term prognosis of geomagnetic storms.  </p><p>Adhikari, L., et al. 2019, The Role of Magnetic Reconnection–associated Processes in Local Particle Acceleration in the Solar Wind, ApJ, 873, 1, 72, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab05c6<br>Kogai T.G. et al., Pre-storm ULF variations in the solar wind density and interplanetary magnetic field as key parameters to build a mid-term prognosis of geomagnetic storms. “GRINGAUZ 100: PLASMA IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM”, IKI RAS, Moscow, June 13–15, 2018, 140-143, ISBN 978-5-00015-043-6. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327781146_Pre-storm_ULF_variations_in_the_solar_wind_density_and_interplanetary_magnetic_field_as_key_parameters_to_build_a_mid-term_prognosis_of_geomagnetic_storms<br> Khabarova O. V., et al. 2018,  Re-acceleration of energetic particles in large-scale heliospheric magnetic cavities, Proceedings of the IAU, 76-82, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921318000285 <br>Khabarova O.V., et al. Small-scale magnetic islands in the solar wind and their role in particle acceleration. II. Particle energization inside magnetically confined cavities. 2016, ApJ, 827, 122, http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/0004-637X/827/2/122<br>Khabarova O., et al. Small-scale magnetic islands in the solar wind and their role in particle acceleration. 1. Dynamics of magnetic islands near the heliospheric current sheet. 2015, ApJ, 808, 181, https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/808/2/181</p><p>Khabarova O.V., Current Problems of Magnetic Storm Prediction and Possible Ways of Their Solving. Sun&Geosphere,  http://sg.shao.az/v2n1/SG_v2_No1_2007-pp-33-38.pdf , 2(1), 33-38, 2007</p><p>Khabarova O.V. & Yu.I.Yermolaev, Solar wind parameters' behavior before and after magnetic storms, JASTP, 70, 2-4, 2008, 384-390, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2007.08.024</p>

Current sheets, magnetic islands and associated particle acceleration in the solar wind as observed by Ulysses near the ecliptic plane

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Malandraki ◽  
Olga Khabarova ◽  
Roberto Bruno ◽  
Gary Zank ◽  
Gang Li and the ISSI-405 team
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Energetic Particle ◽  
Particle Flux ◽  
Energetic Particles ◽  
Magnetic Islands ◽  
Intermittent Turbulence ◽  
Current Sheets ◽  
Energetic Particle Flux

<p>Recent studies of particle acceleration in the heliosphere have revealed a new mechanism that can locally energize particles up to several MeV/nuc. Stream-stream interactions as well as the heliospheric current sheet – stream interactions lead to formation of large magnetic cavities, bordered by strong current sheets (CSs), which in turn produce secondary CSs and dynamical small-scale magnetic islands (SMIs) of ~0.01AU or less owing to magnetic reconnection. It has been shown that particle acceleration or re-acceleration occurs via stochastic magnetic reconnection in dynamical SMIs confined inside magnetic cavities observed at 1 AU. The study links the occurrence of CSs and SMIs with characteristics of intermittent turbulence and observations of energetic particles of keV-MeV/nuc energies at ~5.3 AU. We analyze selected samples of different plasmas observed by Ulysses during a widely discussed event, which was characterized by a series of high-speed streams of various origins that interacted beyond the Earth’s orbit in January 2005. The interactions formed complex conglomerates of merged interplanetary coronal mass ejections, stream/corotating interaction regions and magnetic cavities. We study properties of turbulence and associated structures of various scales. We confirm the importance of intermittent turbulence and magnetic reconnection in modulating solar energetic particle flux and even local particle acceleration. Coherent structures, including CSs and SMIs, play a significant role in the development of secondary stochastic particle acceleration, which changes the observed energetic particle flux time-intensity profiles and increases the final energy level to which energetic particles can be accelerated in the solar wind.</p>

Current Sheets, Magnetic Islands, and Associated Particle Acceleration in the Solar Wind as Observed by Ulysses near the Ecliptic Plane

2019 ◽  
Vol 881 (2) ◽  
pp. 116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Malandraki ◽  
Olga Khabarova ◽  
Roberto Bruno ◽  
Gary P. Zank ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Ecliptic Plane ◽  
Magnetic Islands ◽  
Current Sheets

scholarly journals Counterstreaming Strahls and Heat Flux Dropouts as Possible Signatures of Local Particle Acceleration in the Solar Wind

2020 ◽  
Vol 894 (1) ◽  
pp. L12
Author(s):  
O. Khabarova ◽  
V. Zharkova ◽  
Q. Xia ◽  
O. E. Malandraki
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Particle Acceleration

Fully kinetic PIC simulations of particle acceleration and non-Maxwellian distribution functions due to current sheets in solar wind turbulence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricio A. Munoz ◽  
Jörg Büchner ◽  
Neeraj Jain
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Plasma Turbulence ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
Magnetic Islands ◽  
Ion Distribution ◽  
Current Sheets ◽  
Particle In Cell

<p>Turbulence is ubiquitous in solar system plasmas like those of the solar wind and Earth's magnetosheath. Current sheets can be formed out of this turbulence, and eventually magnetic reconnection can take place in them, a process that converts magnetic into particle kinetic energy. This interplay between turbulence and current sheet formation has been extensively analyzed with MHD and hybrid-kinetic models. Those models cover all the range between large Alfvénic scales down to ion-kinetic scales. The consequences of current sheet formation in plasma turbulence that includes electron dynamics has, however, received comparatively less attention. For this sake we carry out 2.5D fully kinetic Particle-in-Cell simulations of kinetic plasma turbulence including both ion and electron spectral ranges. In order to further assess the electron kinetic effects, we also compare our results with hybrid-kinetic simulations including electron inertia in the generalized Ohm's law. We analyze and discuss the electron and ion energization processes in the current sheets and magnetic islands formed in the turbulence. We focus on the electron and ion distribution functions formed in and around those current sheets and their stability properties that are relevant for the micro-instabilities feeding back into the turbulence cascade. We also compare pitch angle distributions and non-Maxwellian features such as heat fluxes with recent in-situ solar wind observations, which demonstrated local particle acceleration processes in reconnecting solar wind current sheets [Khabarova et al., ApJ, 2020].</p>

Solar wind re-acceleration in local current sheets and their diagnostics from observations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Xia ◽  
Valentina Zharkova
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Interplanetary Space ◽  
Angle Distribution ◽  
Magnetic Islands ◽  
Current Sheets ◽  
Particle In Cell ◽  
Accelerated Particles

<p><span>We explore solar wind re-acceleration during their passage through reconnecting current sheets in the interplanetary space using the particle-in-cell approach. We investigate particle acceleration in 3D Harris-type reconnecting current sheets with a single or multiple X-nullpoints taking into account the ambient plasma feedback to the presence of accelerated particles. We also consider coalescent and squashed magnetic islands formed in the current sheets with different magnetic field topologies, thickness, ambient density, and mass ratios. With the PIC approach, we detected distinct populations of two groups of particles, transit and bounced ones, which have very different energy and asymmetric pitch-angle distributions associated with the magnetic field parameters. We present a few cross-sections of the simulated pitch-angle distributions of accelerated particles and compare them with the in-situ observations of solar wind particles. This comparison indicates that locally generated superthermal electrons can account for the counter-streaming ‘strahls’ often observed in pitch-angle distribution spectrograms of the satellites crossing heliospheric current sheets.</span></p>

scholarly journals On the Role of Solar Wind Expansion as a Source of Whistler Waves: Scattering of Suprathermal Electrons and Heat Flux Regulation in the Inner Heliosphere

2021 ◽  
Vol 919 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
A. Micera ◽  
A. N. Zhukov ◽  
R. A. López ◽  
E. Boella ◽  
A. Tenerani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Whistler Waves ◽  
Suprathermal Electrons ◽  
Inner Heliosphere
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