Fully Kinetic Simulations of Proton-beam-driven Instabilities from Parker Solar Probe Observations

Abstract The expanding solar wind plasma ubiquitously exhibits anisotropic nonthermal particle velocity distributions. Typically, proton velocity distribution functions (VDFs) show the presence of a core and a field-aligned beam. Novel observations made by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) in the innermost heliosphere have revealed new complex features in the proton VDFs, namely anisotropic beams that sometimes experience perpendicular diffusion. In this study, we use a 2.5D fully kinetic simulation to investigate the stability of proton VDFs with anisotropic beams observed by PSP. Our setup consists of a core and an anisotropic beam population that drift with respect to each other. This configuration triggers a proton beam instability from which nearly parallel fast magnetosonic modes develop. Our results demonstrate that before this instability reaches saturation, the waves resonantly interact with the beam protons, causing perpendicular heating at the expense of the parallel temperature.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2024-10-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad7465
Citations
8
Primary Topic
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.65

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article

Fully Kinetic Simulations of Proton-beam-driven Instabilities from Parker Solar Probe Observations

Maria Elena Innocenti, Giuseppe Arrò, Alfredo Micera, A. N. Zhukov et al.
8 citations
The Astrophysical Journal
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
2.65
article

Fully Kinetic Simulations of Proton-beam-driven Instabilities from Parker Solar Probe Observations

Maria Elena Innocenti, Giuseppe Arrò, Alfredo Micera, A. N. Zhukov, Rodrigo A. López, Giovanni Lapenta, Luca Pezzini, F Bacchini
article en
8 citations

Abstract

Abstract The expanding solar wind plasma ubiquitously exhibits anisotropic nonthermal particle velocity distributions. Typically, proton velocity distribution functions (VDFs) show the presence of a core and a field-aligned beam. Novel observations made by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) in the innermost heliosphere have revealed new complex features in the proton VDFs, namely anisotropic beams that sometimes experience perpendicular diffusion. In this study, we use a 2.5D fully kinetic simulation to investigate the stability of proton VDFs with anisotropic beams observed by PSP. Our setup consists of a core and an anisotropic beam population that drift with respect to each other. This configuration triggers a proton beam instability from which nearly parallel fast magnetosonic modes develop. Our results demonstrate that before this instability reaches saturation, the waves resonantly interact with the beam protons, causing perpendicular heating at the expense of the parallel temperature.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 975(1)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (US), Universidad Andrés Bello (CL), Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BE), Lomonosov Moscow State University (RU), Royal Observatory of Belgium (BE), Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear (CL), Ruhr University Bochum (DE), KU Leuven (BE)
European Space Agency, Vlaams Supercomputer Centrum, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Vlaamse regering
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
2.65
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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