arXiv subjects

Chuanyi Tu

Publications and source records attributed to Chuanyi Tu.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Large Amplitude Switchback Turbulence: Possible Magnetic Velocity Alignment Structures

Switchbacks are widely acknowledged phenomena observed by the Parker Solar Probe and appear to occur in patches. Previous studies focused on the fluctuations at the magnetic reversals. However, the nature of the fluctuations inside the switchbacks remains unknown. Here we utilize the magnetic field data and plasma data measured by the Parker Solar Probe in the first four encounters. We investigate the fluctuations in the switchback intervals of 100 s with BR>0 at every instant and compare them to the fluctuations in the nonswitchback intervals of 100 s with theta_RB>160o at every instant. We calculate normalized cross-helicity sigma_c, normalized residual energy sigma_r, correlation coefficient C_vb between dvA and dv, Alfven ratio rA, and the amplitude of magnetic and kinetic fluctuations. We find that the switchback intervals exhibit a distribution of sigma_c similar with the nonswitchback intervals. However, the rA of switchback intervals is around 0.35, while the nonswitchback intervals have rA around 0.65, indicating the fluctuations in the switchbacks are more magnetically dominated. We also find that the distribution pattern of pixel average amplitude of both dvA and dv of switchback intervals in the C_vb-sigma_r plane show a vertical stripe feature at C_vb>0.8, illustrating the possible magnetically dominant magnetic-velocity alignment structure. These results will help us to understand the nature and the formation of the switchback turbulence.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Isotropic Scaling Features Measured Locally in the Solar Wind Turbulence with Stationary Background Field

The scaling anisotropy is crucial to interpret the nonlinear interactions in solar wind turbulence. Previous observations provide diverse results and the structure function analyses are also reported to be an approach to investigate the scaling anisotropy based on a local magnetic field. However, the determination of the sampling angle with respect to the local background magnetic field requires that the observed time series for the average are time stationary. Whether or not this required time stationarity is compatible with the measurements has not been investigated. Here we utilize the second-order structure function method to study the scaling anisotropy with a time-stationary background field.We analyze 88 fast solar wind intervals each with time durations larger than 2 days measured by WIND spacecraft in the period 2005-2018. We calculate the local magnetic field as the average of the time series B whose time stationarity is fulfilled by our criterion phi smaller than 10 deg (phi is the angle between the two averaged magnetic fields after cutting B into two halves). We find for the first time the isotropic scaling feature of the magnetic-trace structure functions with scaling indices -0.63 pm 0.08 and -0.70 pm 0.04, respectively, with the local magnetic field parallel and perpendicular to the solar wind velocity directions. The scaling for the velocity-trace structure functions is also isotropic and the indices are -0.47 pm 0.10 and -0.51 pm 0.09. We also find that with increasing phi threshold to 90 deg, the scaling index of the magnetic-trace structure function in the parallel direction decreases to -0.81, while the rms of the instantaneous angle between magnetic field and solar wind velocity increases up to 45deg at the timescale 150 s, indicating a mix of perpendicular measurements into parallel ones at large scales.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2020

Energy Supply for Heating the Slow Solar Wind Observed by Parker Solar Probe between 0.17 and 0.7 au

Energy supply sources for the heating process in the slow solar wind remain unknown. The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission provides a good opportunity to study this issue. Recently, PSP observations have found that the slow solar wind experiences stronger heating inside 0.24 au. Here for the first time we measure in the slow solar wind the radial gradient of the low-frequency breaks on the magnetic trace power spectra and evaluate the associated energy supply rate. We find that the energy supply rate is consistent with the observed perpendicular heating rate calculated based on the gradient of the magnetic moment. Based on this finding, one could explain why the slow solar wind is strongly heated inside 0.25 au but expands nearly adiabatically outside 0.25 au. This finding supports the concept that the energy added from the energy-containing range is transferred by an energy cascade process to the dissipation range, and then dissipates to heat the slow solar wind. The related issues for further study are discussed.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2019

Dependence of 3D Self-correlation Level Contours on the Scales in the Inertial Range of Solar Wind Turbulence

The self-correlation level contours at the 1010 cm scale reveal a 3D isotropic feature in the slow solar wind and a quasi-anisotropic feature in the fast solar wind. However, the 1010 cm scale is approximately near the lowfrequency break (outer scale of turbulence cascade), especially in the fast wind. How the self-correlation level contours behave with dependence on the scales in the inertial range of solar wind turbulence remains unknown. Here we present the 3D self-correlation function level contours and their dependence on the scales in the inertial range for the first time. We use data at 1 au from instruments on the Wind spacecraft in the period 2005-2018. We show the 3D isotropic self-correlation level contours of the magnetic field in the inertial range of both slow and fast solar wind turbulence. We also find that the self-correlation level contours of the velocity in the inertial range present 2D anisotropy with an elongation in the perpendicular direction and 2D isotropy in the plane perpendicular to the mean magnetic field. These results indicate differences between the magnetic field and the velocity, providing new clues to interpret the solar wind turbulence on the inertial scale.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2019

3-D feature of self-correlation level contours at $10^{10}\ \mathrm{cm}$ scale in solar wind turbulence

The self-correlation level contours at $10^{10}\ \mathrm{cm}$ scale reveal a 2-D isotropic feature in both the slow solar wind fluctuations and the fast solar wind fluctuations. However, this 2-D isotropic feature is obtained based on the assumption of axisymmetry with respect to the mean magnetic field. Whether the self-correlation level contours are still 3-D isotropic remains unknown. Here we perform for the first time a 3-D self-correlation level contours analysis on the solar wind turbulence. We construct a 3-D coordinate system based on the mean magnetic field direction and the maximum fluctuation direction identified by the minimum-variance analysis (MVA) method. We use data with 1-hour intervals observed by WIND spacecraft from 2005 to 2018. We find, on one hand, in the slow solar wind, the self-correlation level contour surfaces for both the magnetic field and the velocity field are almost spherical, which indicates a 3-D isotropic feature. On the other hand, there is a weak elongation in one of the perpendicular direction in the fast solar wind fluctuations. The 3-D feature of the self-correlation level contours surfaces cannot be explained by the existed theory.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2016

Multi-scale Pressure-balanced Structures in Three-dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

Observations of solar wind turbulence indicate the existence of multi-scale pressure-balanced structures (PBSs) in the solar wind. In this work, we conduct a numerical simulation to investigate multi-scale PBSs and in particular their formation in compressive MHD turbulence. By the use of a higher order Godunov code Athena,a driven compressible turbulence with an imposed uniform guide field is simulated. The simulation results show that both the magnetic pressure and the thermal pressure exhibit a turbulent spectrum with a Kolmogorov-like power law, and that in many regions of the simulation domain they are anti-correlated. The computed wavelet cross-coherence spectrum of the magnetic pressure and the thermal pressure, as well as their space series, indicate the existence of multi-scale PBSs, with the small PBSs being embedded in the large ones. These multi-scale PBSs are likely to be related with the highly oblique-propagating slow-mode waves, as the traced multi-scale PBS is found to be traveling in a certain direction at a speed consistent with that predicted theoretically for a slow-mode wave propagating in the same direction.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2016

A Numerical Investigation of the Recurrent High-speed Jets as a Possibility of Solar Wind Origin

In the solar atmosphere, jets are prevalent and they are significant for the mass and energy transport. Here we conduct numerical simulations to investigate the mass and energy contributions of the recently observed high-speed jets to the solar wind. With a one-dimensional hydrodynamic solar wind model, the time-dependent pulses are imposed at the bottom to simulate the jets. The simulation results show that without other energy source, the injected plasmas are accelerated effectively to be a transonic wind with a substantial mass flux. The rapid acceleration occurs close to the Sun, and the resulting asymptotic speed, number density at 0.3 AU, as well as mass flux normalized to 1 AU are compatible with in situ observations. As a result of the high speed, the imposed pulses generate a train of shocks traveling upward. By tracing the motions of the injected plasma, it is found that these shocks heat and accelerate the injected plasmas successively step by step to push them upward and eventually allow them to escape. The parametric studies show that increasing the speed of the imposed pulses or their temperature gives a considerably faster, and hotter solar wind, while increasing their number density or decreasing their recurring period only bring a denser solar wind. These studies provide a possibility that the ubiquitous high-speed jets are a substantial mass and energy contributions to the solar wind.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

Origin of Both the Fast Hot Jet and the Slow Cool Jet from Magnetic Flux Emergence and Advection in the Solar Transition Region

In the solar atmosphere, the jets are ubiquitous and found to be at various spatia-temporal scales. They are significant to understand energy and mass transport in the solar atmosphere. Recently, the high-speed transition region jets are reported from the observation. Here we conduct a numerical simulation to investigate the mechanism in their formation. Driven by the supergranular convection motion, the magnetic reconnection between the magnetic loop and the background open flux occurring in the transition region is simulated with a two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics model. The simulation results show that not only a fast hot jet, much resemble the found transition region jets, but also a adjacent slow cool jet, mostly like classical spicules, is launched. The force analysis shows that the fast hot jet is continually driven by the Lorentz force around the reconnection region, while the slow cool jet is induced by an initial kick through the Lorentz force associated with the emerging magnetic flux. Also, the features of the driven jets change with the amount of the emerging magnetic flux, giving the varieties of both jets. These results will inspire our understanding of the formation of the prevalence of both the fast hot jet and slow cool jet from the solar transition region and chromosphere.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

Kinetic Simulation of Slow Magnetosonic Waves and Quasi-periodic Upflows in the Solar Corona

Quasi-periodic disturbances of emission-line parameters are frequently observed in the corona. These disturbances propagate upward along the magnetic field with speeds $\sim100~\rm{km~s}^{-1}$. This phenomenon has been interpreted as evidence of the propagation of slow magnetosonic waves or argued to be signature of the intermittent outflows superposed on the background plasmas. Here we aim to present a new "wave + flow" model to interpret these observations. In our scenario, the oscillatory motion is a slow mode wave, and the flow is associated with a beam created by the wave-particle interaction owing to Landau resonance. With the help of a Vlasov model, we simulate the propagation of the slow mode wave and the generation of the beam flow. We find that weak periodic beam flows can be generated owing to Landau resonance in the solar corona, and the phase with strongest blueward asymmetry is ahead of that with strongest blueshift by about 1/4 period. We also find that the slow wave damps to the level of 1/e after the transit time of two wave periods, owing to Landau damping and Coulomb collisions in our simulation. This damping time scale is similar to that resulting from thermal-conduction in the magnetohydrodynamics regime. The beam flow is weakened/attenuated with increasing wave period and decreasing wave amplitude since Coulomb collision becomes more and more dominant over the wave action. We suggest that this "wave + flow" kinetic model provides an alternative explanation for the observed quasi-periodic propagating perturbations in various parameters in the solar corona.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Spectral Anisotropy of Elsässer Variables in Two Dimensional Wave-vector Space as Observed in the Fast Solar Wind Turbulence

Intensive studies have been conducted to understand the anisotropy of solar wind turbulence. However, the anisotropy of Elsässer variables ($\textbf{Z}^\pm$) in 2D wave-vector space has yet to be investigated. Here we first verify the transformation based on the projection-slice theorem between the power spectral density PSD$_{2D}(k_\parallel,k_\perp )$ and the spatial correlation function CF$_{2D} (r_\parallel,r_\perp )$. Based on the application of the transformation to the magnetic field and the particle measurements from the WIND spacecraft, we investigate the spectral anisotropy of Elsässer variables ($\textbf{Z}^\pm$), and the distribution of residual energy E$_{R}$, Alfvén ratio R$_{A}$ and Elsässer ratio R$_{E}$ in the $(k_\parallel,k_\perp)$ space. The spectra PSD$_{2D}(k_\parallel,k_\perp )$ of $\textbf{B}$, $\textbf{V}$, and $\textbf{Z}_{major}$ (the larger of $\textbf{Z}^\pm$) show a similar pattern that PSD$_{2D}(k_\parallel,k_\perp )$ is mainly distributed along a ridge inclined toward the $k_\perp$ axis. This is probably the signature of the oblique Alfvénic fluctuations propagating outwardly. Unlike those of $\textbf{B}$, $\textbf{V}$, and $\textbf{Z}_{major}$, the spectrum PSD$_{2D}(k_\parallel,k_\perp )$ of $\textbf{Z}_{minor}$ is distributed mainly along the $k_\perp$ axis. Close to the $k_\perp$ axis, $\left| {E}_{R}\right|$ becomes larger while R$_{A}$ becomes smaller, suggesting that the dominance of magnetic energy over kinetic energy becomes more significant at small $k_\parallel$. R$_{E}$ is larger at small $k_\parallel$, implying that PSD$_{2D}(k_\parallel,k_\perp )$ of $\textbf{Z}_{minor}$ is more concentrated along the $k_\perp$ direction as compared to that of $\textbf{Z}_{major}$. The residual energy condensate at small $k_\parallel$ is consistent with simulation results in which E$_{R}$ is spontaneously generated by Alfvén wave interaction.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Proton Heating in Solar Wind Compressible Turbulence with Collisions between Counter-propagating Waves

Magnetohydronamic turbulence is believed to play a crucial role in heating the laboratorial, space, and astrophysical plasmas. However, the precise connection between the turbulent fluctuations and the particle kinetics has not yet been established. Here we present clear evidence of plasma turbulence heating based on diagnosed wave features and proton velocity distributions from solar wind measurements by the Wind spacecraft. For the first time, we can report the simultaneous observation of counter-propagating magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar wind turbulence. Different from the traditional paradigm with counter-propagating Alfvén waves, anti-sunward Alfvén waves (AWs) are encountered by sunward slow magnetosonic waves (SMWs) in this new type of solar wind compressible turbulence. The counter-propagating AWs and SWs correspond respectively to the dominant and sub-dominant populations of the imbalanced Elsässer variables. Nonlinear interactions between the AWs and SMWs are inferred from the non-orthogonality between the possible oscillation direction of one wave and the possible propagation direction of the other. The associated protons are revealed to exhibit bi-directional asymmetric beams in their velocity distributions: sunward beams appearing in short and narrow patterns and anti-sunward broad extended tails. It is suggested that multiple types of wave-particle interactions, i.e., cyclotron and Landau resonances with AWs and SMWs at kinetic scales, are taking place to jointly heat the protons perpendicularly and parallel.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Self-absorption in the solar transition region

Transient brightenings in the transition region of the Sun have been studied for decades and are usually related to magnetic reconnection. Recently, absorption features due to chromospheric lines have been identified in transition region emission lines raising the question of the thermal stratification during such reconnection events. We analyse data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) in an emerging active region. Here the spectral profiles show clear self-absorption features in the transition region lines of Si\,{\sc{iv}}. While some indications existed that opacity effects might play some role in strong transition region lines, self-absorption has not been observed before. We show why previous instruments could not observe such self-absorption features, and discuss some implications of this observation for the corresponding structure of reconnection events in the atmosphere. Based on this we speculate that a range of phenomena, such as explosive events, blinkers or Ellerman bombs, are just different aspects of the same reconnection event occurring at different heights in the atmosphere.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Formation of Rotational Discontinuities in Compressive three-dimensional MHD Turbulence

Measurements of solar wind turbulence reveal the ubiquity of discontinuities. In this study, we investigate how the discontinuities, especially rotational discontinuities (RDs), are formed in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. In a simulation of the decaying compressive three-dimensional (3-D) MHD turbulence with an imposed uniform background magnetic field, we detect RDs with sharp field rotations and little variations of magnetic field intensity as well as mass density. At the same time, in the de Hoffman-Teller (HT) frame, the plasma velocity is nearly in agreement with the Alfvén speed, and is field-aligned on both sides of the discontinuity. We take one of the identified RDs to analyze in details its 3-D structure and temporal evolution. By checking the magnetic field and plasma parameters, we find that the identified RD evolves from the steepening of the Alfvén wave with moderate amplitude, and that steepening is caused by the nonuniformity of the Alfvén speed in the ambient turbulence.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Occurrence Rates and Heating Effects of Tangential and Rotational Discontinuities as Obtained from Three-dimensional Simulation of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

In solar wind, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) discontinuities are ubiquitous and often found to be at the origin of turbulence intermittency. They may also play a key role in the turbulence dissipation and heating of the solar wind. The tangential (TD) and rotational (RD) discontinuities are the two most important types of discontinuities. Recently, the connection between turbulence intermittency and proton thermodynamics has been being investigated observationally. Here we present numerical results from three-dimensional MHD simulation with pressure anisotropy and define new methods to identify and to distinguish TDs and RDs. Three statistical results obtained about the relative occurrence rates and heating effects are highlighted: (1) RDs tend to take up the majority of the discontinuities along with time; (2) the thermal states embedding TDs tend to be associated with extreme plasma parameters or instabilities, while RDs do not; (3) TDs have a higher average T as well as perpendicular temperature $T_\perp$. The simulation shows that TDs and RDs evolve and contribute to solar wind heating differently. These results will inspire our understanding of the mechanisms that generate discontinuities and cause plasma heating.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

New views on the emission and structure of the solar transition region

The Sun is the only star that we can spatially resolve and it can be regarded as a fundamental plasma laboratory of astrophysics. The solar transition region (TR), the layer between the solar chromosphere and corona, plays an important role in solar wind origin and coronal heating. Recent high-resolution observations made by SOHO, TRACE, and Hinode indicate that the TR is highly nonuniform and magnetically structured. Through a combination of spectroscopic observations and magnetic field extrapolations, the TR magnetic structures and plasma properties have been found to be different in coronal holes and in the quiet Sun. In active regions, the TR density and temperature structures also differ in sunspots and the surrounding plage regions. Although the TR is believed to be a dynamic layer, quasi-steady flows lasting from several hours to several days are often present in the quiet Sun, coronal holes, and active regions, indicating some kind of plasma circulation/convection in the TR and corona. The emission of hydrogen Lyman lines, which originates from the lower TR, has also been intensively investigated in the recent past. Observations show clearly that the flows and dynamics in the middle and upper TR can greatly modify the Lyman line profiles.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Radial evolution of the wave-vector anisotropy of solar wind turbulence between 0.3 and 1 AU

We present observations of the power spectral anisotropy in wave-vector space of solar wind turbulence, and study how it evolves in interplanetary space with increasing heliocentric distance. For this purpose we use magnetic field measurements made by the Helios-2 spacecraft at three positions between 0.29 and 0.9 AU. To derive the power spectral density (PSD) in $(k_\parallel, k_\bot)$-space based on single-satellite measurements is a challenging task not yet accomplished previously. Here we derive the spectrum $\rm{PSD}_{\rm{2D}}$($\rm{k}_\parallel$, $\rm{k}_\bot$) from the spatial correlation function $\rm{CF}_{\rm{2D}}(r_\parallel, r_\bot)$ by a transformation according to the projection-slice theorem. We find the so constructed PSDs to be distributed in k-space mainly along a ridge that is more inclined toward the $\rm{k}_\bot$ than $\rm{k}_\parallel$ axis, a new result which probably indicates preferential cascading of turbulent energy along the $\rm{k}_\bot$ direction. Furthermore, this ridge of the distribution is found to gradually get closer to the $\rm{k}_\bot$ axis, as the outer scale length of the turbulence becomes larger while the solar wind flows further away from the Sun. In the vicinity of the $\rm{k}_\parallel$ axis, there appears a minor spectral component that probably corresponds to quasi-parallel Alfvénic fluctuations. Their relative contribution to the total spectral density tends to decrease with radial distance. These findings suggest that solar wind turbulence undergoes an anisotropic cascade transporting most of its magnetic energy towards larger $\rm{k}_\bot$, and that the anisotropy in the inertial range is radially developing further at scales that are relatively far from the ever increasing outer scale.

astro-ph.SR↗