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arXiv · 1807.11371

Dependence of Kinetic Plasma Turbulence on Plasma beta

Tulasi N. Parashar·William H. Matthaeus·Michael A Shay
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Abstract

We study the effects of plasma \b{eta} (ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure) on the evolution of kinetic plasma turbulence using fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of decaying turbulence. We find that the plasma \b{eta} systematically affects spectra, measures of intermittency, decay rates of turbulence fluctuations, and partitioning over different channels of energy exchange More specifically, an increase in plasma \b{eta} leads to greater total heating, with proton heating preferentially more than electrons. Implications for achieving magnetosheath like temperature ratios are discussed.

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Tulasi N. Parashar, William H. Matthaeus, Michael A Shay. 2018-07-30. Dependence of Kinetic Plasma Turbulence on Plasma beta. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213%2Faadb8b

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