Particle-in-cell simulations of circularly polarised Alfvén wave phase mixing: A new mechanism for electron acceleration in collisionless plasmas

Tsiklauri, D; Sakai, JI; Saito, S

Abstract

In this work we used Particle-In-Cell simulations to study the interaction of circularly polarised Alhén waves with one dimensional plasma density inhomogeneities transverse to the uniform magnetic field (phase mixing) in collisionless plasmas. In our preliminary work we reported discovery of a new electron acceleration mechanism, in which progressive distortion of the Alfvén wave front, due to the differences in local Alfvén speed, generates an oblique (nearly parallel to the magnetic field) electrostatic field. The latter accelerates electrons through the Landau resonance. Here we report a detailed study of this novel mechanism, including: (i) analysis of broadening of the ion distribution function due to the presence of Alfvén waves; and (ii) the generation of compressive perturbations due to both weak non-linearity and plasma density inhomogeneity. The amplitude decay law in the inhomogeneous regions, in the kinetic regime, is demonstrated to be the same as in the MHD approximation described by Heyvaerts & Priest (1983, A&A, 117, 220).

Citation

Tsiklauri, D., Sakai, J., & Saito, S. (2005). Particle-in-cell simulations of circularly polarised Alfvén wave phase mixing: A new mechanism for electron acceleration in collisionless plasmas. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 435(3), 1105-1113. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%3A20042436

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jun 9, 2005
• Deposit Date: Aug 23, 2007
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 23, 2007
• Journal: Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Print ISSN: 2329-1273
• Publisher: Hans Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 435
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 1105-1113
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%3A20042436
• Keywords: Solar wind, sun, nonlinearity, disturbances, ion distribution, resonance, wave front, magnetic fields, plasma density, collisionless plasma, plasma acceleration, particle acceleration, mixing, alfven waves, polarized wave, circular polarization, particle
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20042436
• Related Public URLs: http://www.edpsciences.org/; http://www.aanda.org/