Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Observations of Electromagnetic Fluctuations at Ion Kinetic Scales in the Solar Wind

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Multi-scale Dynamical Processes in Space and Astrophysical Plasmas

Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings ((ASSSP,volume 33))

Abstract

Wavelet techniques enable reduced power spectra and cross-spectra to be analyzed as a function of the angle θ BV formed by the scale dependent local mean magnetic field B 0 and the flow direction of the solar wind. These techniques allow the data along a line oriented at any angle θ BV to B 0 to be isolated and studied independently thus providing new information about the properties of the fluctuations along directions parallel, perpendicular, and at arbitrary angles to the local mean magnetic field. Recent investigations of the normalized magnetic helicity spectrum σ m using this technique have revealed the existence of two distinct populations of fluctuations near the proton inertial length scale, that is, at wavenumbers near \(kc/{\omega }_{pp} = 1\). These observations and their physical interpretation are briefly reviewed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    The oscillation period is much greater than the time required for the fluctuations to be swept past the spacecraft by the super-Alfvénic solar wind or, more precisely, ω ≪ | k ⋅V sw  | .

  2. 2.

    The inertial range covers the range of spacecraft-frame frequencies from the outer scale—often defined by the correlation time of the fluctuations—approximately equal to 1 h or 3 ×10 − 4 Hz at 1 AU, to the spectral break, approximately equal to 3 ×10 − 1 Hz at 1 AU.

  3. 3.

    Ideally, wavelet measurements of the parallel propagating waves are performed when B 0 is parallel to the solar wind flow direction

References

  1. Bale, S.D., Kellogg, P.J., Mozer, F.S., Horbury, T.S., Reme, H.: Measurement of the Electric Fluctuation Spectrum of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 215002 (2005). DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.215002

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bruno, R., Carbone, V.: The Solar Wind as a Turbulence Laboratory. Living Reviews in Solar Physics 2, 4 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chen, C.H.K., Horbury, T.S., Schekochihin, A.A., Wicks, R.T., Alexandrova, O., Mitchell, J.: Anisotropy of Solar Wind Turbulence between Ion and Electron Scales. Phys. Rev. Lett. 104(25), 255002 (2010). DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.255002

    Google Scholar 

  4. Chen, C.H.K., Mallet, A., Schekochihin, A.A., Horbury, T.S., Wicks, R.T., Bale, S.D.: Three-Dimensional Structure of Solar Wind Turbulence. ArXiv e-prints:1109.2558 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, C.H.K., Mallet, A., Yousef, T.A., Schekochihin, A.A., Horbury, T.S.: Anisotropy of alfvénic turbulence in the solar wind and numerical simulations. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 415, 843 (2011). DOI 10.1111/ j.1365-2966.2011.18933.x

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dum, C.T., Marsch, E., Pilipp, W.: Determination of wave growth from measured distribution functions and transport theory. Journal of Plasma Physics 23, 91–113 (1980). DOI 10.1017/S0022377800022170

    Google Scholar 

  7. Forman, M.A., Wicks, R.T., Horbury, T.S.: Detailed Fit of ”Critical Balance” Theory to Solar Wind Turbulence Measurements. Astrophys. J. 733, 76 (2011). DOI 10.1088/0004-637X/733/2/76

    Google Scholar 

  8. Goldstein, M.L., Roberts, D.A., Fitch, C.A.: Properties of the fluctuating magnetic helicity in the inertial and dissipation ranges of solar wind turbulence. J. Geophys. Res. 99, 11519–11538 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Goldstein, M.L., Roberts, D.A., Matthaeus, W.H.: Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence In The Solar Wind. Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 33, 283–326 (1995). DOI 10.1146/annurev.aa.33.090195.001435

    Google Scholar 

  10. He, J., Marsch, E., Tu, C., Yao, S., Tian, H.: Possible Evidence of Alfvén-cyclotron Waves in the Angle Distribution of Magnetic Helicity of Solar Wind Turbulence. Astrophys. J. 731, 85 (2011). DOI 10.1088/ 0004-637X/731/2/85

    Google Scholar 

  11. Horbury, T.S., Forman, M., Oughton, S.: Anisotropic Scaling of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence. Phys. Rev. Lett. 101(17), 175005 (2008). DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.175005

    Google Scholar 

  12. Horbury, T.S., Wicks, R.T., Chen, C.H.K.: Anisotropy in Space Plasma Turbulence: Solar Wind Observations. Space Sci. Rev. p. 293 (2011). DOI 10.1007/s11214-011-9821-9

    Google Scholar 

  13. Howes, G.G., Bale, S.D., Klein, K.G., Chen, C.H.K., Salem, C.S., TenBarge, J.M.: The slow-mode nature of compressible wave power in solar wind turbulence. ArXiv e-prints:1106.4327 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Howes, G.G., Quataert, E.: On the Interpretation of Magnetic Helicity Signatures in the Dissipation Range Of Solar Wind Turbulence. Astrophys. J. 709, L49–L52 (2010). DOI 10.1088/2041-8205/709/1/L49

    Google Scholar 

  15. Leamon, R.J., Smith, C.W., Ness, N.F., Matthaeus, W.H., Wong, H.K.: Observational constraints on the dynamics of the interplanetary magnetic field dissipation range. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 4775 (1998). DOI 10.1029/97JA03394

    Google Scholar 

  16. Leamon, R.J., Smith, C.W., Ness, N.F., Wong, H.K.: Dissipation range dynamics: Kinetic Alfvén waves and the importance of β e . J. Geophys. Res. 104, 22331–22344 (1999). DOI 10.1029/ 1999JA900158

    Google Scholar 

  17. Leubner, M.P., Viñas, A.F.: Stability analysis of double-peaked proton distribution functions in the solar wind. J. Geophys. Res. 91, 13366–13372 (1986). DOI 10.1029/JA091iA12p13366

    Google Scholar 

  18. Luo, Q.Y., Wu, D.J.: Observations of Anisotropic Scaling of Solar Wind Turbulence. Astrophys. J. 714, L138–L141 (2010). DOI 10.1088/ 2041-8205/714/1/L138

    Google Scholar 

  19. Marsch, E.: Kinetic Physics of the Solar Wind Plasma, pp. 45–133. Springer-Verlag Berlin. (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Marsch, E.: MHD Turbulence in the Solar Wind, pp. 159–241. Springer-Verlag Berlin. (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Matthaeus, W.H., Goldstein, M.L.: Measurement of the rugged invariants of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the solar wind. J. Geophys. Res. 87, 6011–6028 (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Podesta, J.J.: Dependence of solar-wind power spectra on the direction of the local mean magnetic field. Astrophys. J. 698, 986–999 (2009). DOI 10.1088/0004-637X/698/2/986

    Google Scholar 

  23. Podesta, J.J.: Spectral anisotropy of solar wind turbulence in the inertial range and dissipation range. In: M. Maksimovic, K. Issautier, N. Meyer-Vernet, M. Moncuquet & F. Pantellini (ed.) Twelfth International Solar Wind Conference, AIP Conference Series, vol. 1216, pp. 128–131 (2010). DOI 10.1063/1.3395817

    Google Scholar 

  24. Podesta, J.J., Gary, S.P.: Effect of Differential Flow of Alpha Particles on Proton Pressure Anisotropy Instabilities in the Solar Wind. Astrophys. J. 742, 41 (2011). DOI 10.1088/0004-637X/742/1/41

    Google Scholar 

  25. Podesta, J.J., Gary, S.P.: Magnetic Helicity Spectrum of Solar Wind Fluctuations as a Function of the Angle with Respect to the Local Mean Magnetic Field. Astrophys. J. 734, 15 (2011). DOI 10.1088/0004-637X/ 734/1/15

    Google Scholar 

  26. Sahraoui, F., Goldstein, M.L., Belmont, G., Canu, P., Rezeau, L.: Three Dimensional Anisotropic k Spectra of Turbulence at Subproton Scales in the Solar Wind. Phys. Rev. Lett. 105(23), 131101 (2010). DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.131101

    Google Scholar 

  27. Tu, C.Y., Marsch, E.: MHD structures, waves and turbulence in the solar wind: Observations and theories. Space Sci. Rev. 73, 1–210 (1995). DOI 10.1007/BF00748891

    Google Scholar 

  28. Wicks, R.T., Horbury, T.S., Chen, C.H.K., Schekochihin, A.A.: Power and spectral index anisotropy of the entire inertial range of turbulence in the fast solar wind. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 407, L31–L35 (2010). DOI 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2010.00898.x

    Google Scholar 

  29. Wicks, R.T., Horbury, T.S., Chen, C.H.K., Schekochihin, A.A.: Anisotropy of Imbalanced Alfvénic Turbulence in Fast Solar Wind. Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 045001 (2011). DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106. 045001

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Manfred Leubner and Zoltán Vörös for the invitation to the International Astrophysics Forum Alpbach 2011 held in Alpbach, Tyrol, Austria in June 2011. And to S. Peter Gary for helpful discussions and comments on the manuscript. This research was supported by NASA’s Solar and Heliophysics Program and the NSF Shine program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA

    John J. Podesta

Authors
  1. John J. Podesta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to John J. Podesta .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Inst. of Astro- and Particle Physics, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria

    Manfred P. Leubner

  2. , Inst. of Astro- and Particle Physics, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria

    Zoltán Vörös

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Podesta, J.J. (2012). Observations of Electromagnetic Fluctuations at Ion Kinetic Scales in the Solar Wind. In: Leubner, M., Vörös, Z. (eds) Multi-scale Dynamical Processes in Space and Astrophysical Plasmas. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, vol 33. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30442-2_20

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30442-2_20

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-30441-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-30442-2

  • eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation