A Fokker–Planck Framework for Studying the Variability of the Magnetic Field Direction in the Alfvénic Streams of the Solar Wind
Turbulent rotations of the magnetic field vector are observed in the Alfvénic streams of the solar wind where the magnetic field strength remains close to a constant. They can lead to reversals of the radial magnetic field component or switchbacks. It is not ruled out from the data that the rotation...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad17cc |
| _version_ | 1797361750473965568 |
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| author | N. H. Bian Gang Li |
| author_facet | N. H. Bian Gang Li |
| author_sort | N. H. Bian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Turbulent rotations of the magnetic field vector are observed in the Alfvénic streams of the solar wind where the magnetic field strength remains close to a constant. They can lead to reversals of the radial magnetic field component or switchbacks. It is not ruled out from the data that the rotations are divisible into the sum of small random angular deflections. In this work, we develop tools aimed at the analysis of the one-point statistical properties of the directional fluctuations of the magnetic field vector in the solar wind. The angular fluctuations are modeled by a drift-diffusion process which admits the exponential distribution as steady-state solution. Realizations of the stochastic process are obtained by solving the corresponding Langevin equation. It is shown that the cumulative effects of consecutive small-angle deflections can yield frequent reversals of the magnetic field vector even when the concentration parameter of the directional data is large. The majority of the rotations are associated with nearly transverse magnetic field fluctuations in this case. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:57:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c9193d1aaa0f4affac06198add05652a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:57:57Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-c9193d1aaa0f4affac06198add05652a2024-01-08T15:56:16ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052024-01-019602L1510.3847/2041-8213/ad17ccA Fokker–Planck Framework for Studying the Variability of the Magnetic Field Direction in the Alfvénic Streams of the Solar WindN. H. Bian0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0142-8669Gang Li1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4695-8866CSPAR, University of Alabama in Huntsville , Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA ; nbian@hotmail.comDepartment of Space Science and CSPAR, University of Alabama in Huntsville , Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA ; gangli.uah@gmail.comTurbulent rotations of the magnetic field vector are observed in the Alfvénic streams of the solar wind where the magnetic field strength remains close to a constant. They can lead to reversals of the radial magnetic field component or switchbacks. It is not ruled out from the data that the rotations are divisible into the sum of small random angular deflections. In this work, we develop tools aimed at the analysis of the one-point statistical properties of the directional fluctuations of the magnetic field vector in the solar wind. The angular fluctuations are modeled by a drift-diffusion process which admits the exponential distribution as steady-state solution. Realizations of the stochastic process are obtained by solving the corresponding Langevin equation. It is shown that the cumulative effects of consecutive small-angle deflections can yield frequent reversals of the magnetic field vector even when the concentration parameter of the directional data is large. The majority of the rotations are associated with nearly transverse magnetic field fluctuations in this case.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad17ccInterplanetary turbulenceInterplanetary magnetic fields |
| spellingShingle | N. H. Bian Gang Li A Fokker–Planck Framework for Studying the Variability of the Magnetic Field Direction in the Alfvénic Streams of the Solar Wind The Astrophysical Journal Letters Interplanetary turbulence Interplanetary magnetic fields |
| title | A Fokker–Planck Framework for Studying the Variability of the Magnetic Field Direction in the Alfvénic Streams of the Solar Wind |
| title_full | A Fokker–Planck Framework for Studying the Variability of the Magnetic Field Direction in the Alfvénic Streams of the Solar Wind |
| title_fullStr | A Fokker–Planck Framework for Studying the Variability of the Magnetic Field Direction in the Alfvénic Streams of the Solar Wind |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Fokker–Planck Framework for Studying the Variability of the Magnetic Field Direction in the Alfvénic Streams of the Solar Wind |
| title_short | A Fokker–Planck Framework for Studying the Variability of the Magnetic Field Direction in the Alfvénic Streams of the Solar Wind |
| title_sort | fokker planck framework for studying the variability of the magnetic field direction in the alfvenic streams of the solar wind |
| topic | Interplanetary turbulence Interplanetary magnetic fields |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad17cc |
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