Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves
Abstract Kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) are ubiquitous throughout the plasma universe. Although they are broadly believed to provide a potential approach for energy exchange between electromagnetic fields and plasma particles, neither the detail nor the efficiency of the interactions has been well-dete...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37881-3 |
| _version_ | 1797845871892627456 |
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| author | Z.-Y. Liu Q.-G. Zong R. Rankin H. Zhang Y.-X. Hao J.-S. He S.-Y. Fu H.-H. Wu C. Yue C. J. Pollock G. Le |
| author_facet | Z.-Y. Liu Q.-G. Zong R. Rankin H. Zhang Y.-X. Hao J.-S. He S.-Y. Fu H.-H. Wu C. Yue C. J. Pollock G. Le |
| author_sort | Z.-Y. Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) are ubiquitous throughout the plasma universe. Although they are broadly believed to provide a potential approach for energy exchange between electromagnetic fields and plasma particles, neither the detail nor the efficiency of the interactions has been well-determined yet. The primary difficulty has been the paucity of knowledge of KAWs’ spatial structure in observation. Here, we apply a particle-sounding technique to Magnetospheric Multiscale mission data to quantitatively determine the perpendicular wavelength of KAWs from ion gyrophase-distribution observations. Our results show that KAWs’ perpendicular wavelength is statistically 2.4 $$\pm 0.7$$ ± 0.7 times proton thermal gyro-radius. This observation yields an upper bound of the energy the majority proton population can reach in coherent interactions with KAWs, that is, roughly 5.76 times proton perpendicular thermal energy. Therefore, the method and results shown here provide a basis for unraveling the effects of KAWs in dissipating energy and accelerating particles in a number of astrophysical systems, e.g., planetary magnetosphere, astrophysical shocks, stellar corona and wind, and the interstellar medium. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:46:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-59bb88e2d7d44ddd802f7029b337b175 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:46:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-59bb88e2d7d44ddd802f7029b337b1752023-04-16T11:17:55ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-04-0114111010.1038/s41467-023-37881-3Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén wavesZ.-Y. Liu0Q.-G. Zong1R. Rankin2H. Zhang3Y.-X. Hao4J.-S. He5S.-Y. Fu6H.-H. Wu7C. Yue8C. J. Pollock9G. Le10Institute of Space Physics and Applied Technology, Peking UniversityInstitute of Space Physics and Applied Technology, Peking UniversityDepartment of Physics, University of AlbertaGeophysical Institute, University of Alaska FairbanksHelmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for GeosciencesInstitute of Space Physics and Applied Technology, Peking UniversityInstitute of Space Physics and Applied Technology, Peking UniversitySchool of Electronic Information, Wuhan UniversityInstitute of Space Physics and Applied Technology, Peking UniversityDenali ScientificNASA Goddard Space Flight CenterAbstract Kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) are ubiquitous throughout the plasma universe. Although they are broadly believed to provide a potential approach for energy exchange between electromagnetic fields and plasma particles, neither the detail nor the efficiency of the interactions has been well-determined yet. The primary difficulty has been the paucity of knowledge of KAWs’ spatial structure in observation. Here, we apply a particle-sounding technique to Magnetospheric Multiscale mission data to quantitatively determine the perpendicular wavelength of KAWs from ion gyrophase-distribution observations. Our results show that KAWs’ perpendicular wavelength is statistically 2.4 $$\pm 0.7$$ ± 0.7 times proton thermal gyro-radius. This observation yields an upper bound of the energy the majority proton population can reach in coherent interactions with KAWs, that is, roughly 5.76 times proton perpendicular thermal energy. Therefore, the method and results shown here provide a basis for unraveling the effects of KAWs in dissipating energy and accelerating particles in a number of astrophysical systems, e.g., planetary magnetosphere, astrophysical shocks, stellar corona and wind, and the interstellar medium.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37881-3 |
| spellingShingle | Z.-Y. Liu Q.-G. Zong R. Rankin H. Zhang Y.-X. Hao J.-S. He S.-Y. Fu H.-H. Wu C. Yue C. J. Pollock G. Le Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves Nature Communications |
| title | Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves |
| title_full | Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves |
| title_fullStr | Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves |
| title_short | Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves |
| title_sort | particle sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic alfven waves |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37881-3 |
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