arXiv subjects

F. Malara

Publications and source records attributed to F. Malara.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Assessing VBz variations during CME propagation: a preparatory study for the HENON mission using EUHFORIA

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are among the main drivers of space weather hazards. In this context, HENON is a new space mission designed to carry out observations in the solar wind upstream of the Earth, aiming to provide timely alerts for hazardous perturbations propagating towards the Earth. HENON will orbit Earth on a distant retrograde orbit, approximately 0.082 AU upstream of the Earth when it is on the Sun-Earth line. The measurements taken by HENON will allow us to determine plasma and magnetic field parameters with a lead time of several hours with respect to the Lagrangian point L1. We assess the VB_z parameter variations (the product of solar wind speed V and southward magnetic field B_z) along the HENON orbit. Given its role as a primary driver of geomagnetic activity, we analyse how these measurements change with respect to Earth's position to evaluate HENON's forecasting potential. We used the FRi3D CME model of the EUHFORIA simulation code to characterize the initial properties of the CME. FRi3D allows us to set the CME magnetic field as a magnetic flux rope. From the simulation results, we evaluated the VB_z parameter at nine virtual spacecraft positions along the planned HENON orbit. The heliocentric longitudes of the virtual spacecraft range from about -6.9{\deg} to 6.9{\deg}, while the geocentric longitudes vary from -60{\deg} to +60{\deg} in steps of 15{\deg}. The initial direction of propagation of the CME central apex is either along the Sun-Earth line or at heliocentric longitudes of {\pm}30{\deg}. We find that with the proposed orbital parameters, the values of the VBz parameter along the HENON orbit are sufficiently similar to those measured in the vicinity of the Earth to be useful for space weather forecasts. HENON enables reliable VB_z estimates 2-8 hours in advance, improving space weather forecasting and protection of critical infrastructure and satellites.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Energetic particle dynamics in a simplified model of a solar wind magnetic switchback

Context. Recent spacecraft observations in the inner heliosphere have revealed the presence of local Alfvenic reversals of the magnetic field, while the field magnitude remains almost constant. They are called magnetic switchbacks and are very common in the plasma environment close to the Sun explored by the Parker Solar Probe satellite. Aims. A simple numerical model of a magnetic field reversal with constant magnitude is used in order to explore the influence of switchbacks on the propagation of energetic particles, within a range of energy typical of solar energetic particles. Methods. We model the reversal as a region of space of adjustable size bounded by two rotational discontinuities. By means of test particle simulations, beams of mono-energetic particles can be injected upstream of the switchback with various initial pitch- and gyro-phase angles. In each simulation, the particle energy may also be changed. Results. Particle dynamics is highly affected by the ratio between the particle gyroradius and the size of the switchback, with multiple pitch-angle scatterings when the particle gyroradius is of the order of the switchback size. Further, particle motion is extremely sensitive to the initial conditions implying a transition to chaos; for some parameters of the system, a large share of particles is reflected backwards upstream as they interact with the switchback. These results can have a profound impact on the solar energetic particle transport in the inner heliosphere, thus possible comparisons with in-situ spacecraft data are discussed.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

The essential role of multi-point measurements in investigations of turbulence, three-dimensional structure, and dynamics: the solar wind beyond single scale and the Taylor Hypothesis

Space plasmas are three-dimensional dynamic entities. Except under very special circumstances, their structure in space and their behavior in time are not related in any simple way. Therefore, single spacecraft in situ measurements cannot unambiguously unravel the full space-time structure of the heliospheric plasmas of interest in the inner heliosphere, in the Geospace environment, or the outer heliosphere. This shortcoming leaves numerous central questions incompletely answered. Deficiencies remain in at least two important subjects, Space Weather and fundamental plasma turbulence theory, due to a lack of a more complete understanding of the space-time structure of dynamic plasmas. Only with multispacecraft measurements over suitable spans of spatial separation and temporal duration can these ambiguities be resolved. We note that these characterizations apply to turbulence across a wide range of scales, and also equally well to shocks, flux ropes, magnetic clouds, current sheets, stream interactions, etc. In the following, we will describe the basic requirements for resolving space-time structure in general, using turbulence' as both an example and a principal target or study. Several types of missions are suggested to resolve space-time structure throughout the Heliosphere.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2020

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at proton scales with an exact kinetic equilibrium

The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is a ubiquitous physical process in ordinary fluids and plasmas, frequently observed also in space environments. In this paper, kinetic effects at proton scales in the nonlinear and turbulent stage of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability have been studied in magnetized collisionless plasmas by means of Hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell simulations. The main goal of this work is to point out the back reaction on particles triggered by the evolution of such instability, as energy reaches kinetic scales along the turbulent cascade. Interestingly, turbulence is inhibited when Kelvin-Helmholtz instability develops over an initial state which is not an exact equilibrium state. On the other hand, when an initial equilibrium condition is considered, energy can be efficiently transferred towards short scales, reaches the typical proton wavelengths and drives the dynamics of particles. As a consequence of the interaction of particles with the turbulent fluctuating fields, the proton velocity distribution deviates significantly from the local thermodynamic equilibrium, the degree of deviation increasing with the level of turbulence in the system and being located near regions of strong magnetic stresses. These numerical results support recent space observations from the Magnetospheric MultiScale mission of ion kinetic effects driven by the turbulent dynamics at the Earth's magnetosheath (Perri et al., 2020, JPlPh, 86, 905860108) and by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the Earth's magnetosphere (Sorriso-Valvo et al., 2019, PhRvL, 122, 035102).

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2019

[Plasma 2020 Decadal] The essential role of multi-point measurements in turbulence investigations: the solar wind beyond single scale and beyond the Taylor Hypothesis

This paper briefly reviews a number of fundamental measurements that need to be made in order to characterize turbulence in space plasmas such as the solar wind. It has long been known that many of these quantities require simultaneous multipoint measurements to attain a proper characterization that would reveal the fundamental physics of plasma turbulence. The solar wind is an ideal plasma for such an investigation, and it now appears to be technologically feasible to carry out such an investigation, following the pioneering Cluster and MMS missions. Quantities that need to be measured using multipoint measurements include the two-point, two-time second correlation function of velocity, magnetic field and density, and higher order statistical objects such as third and fourth order structure functions. Some details of these requirements are given here, with a eye towards achieving closure on fundamental questions regarding the cascade rate, spectral anisotropy, characteristic coherent structures, intermittency, and dissipation mechanisms that describe plasma turbuelence, as well as its variability with plasma parameters in the solar wind. The motivation for this discussion is the current planning for a proposed Helioswarm mission that would be designed to make these measurements,leading to breakthrough understanding of the physics of space and astrophysical turbulence.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2018

Properties of turbulence in the reconnection exhaust: numerical simulations compared with observations

The properties of the turbulence which develops in the outflows of magnetic reconnection have been investigated using self-consistent plasma simulations, in three dimensions. As commonly observed in space plasmas, magnetic reconnection is characterized by the presence of turbulence. Here we provide a direct comparison of our simulations with reported observations of reconnection events in the magnetotail investigating the properties of the electromagnetic field and the energy conversion mechanisms. In particular, simulations show the development of a turbulent cascade consistent with spacecraft observations, statistics of the the dissipation mechanisms in the turbulent outflows similar to the one observed in reconnection jets in the magnetotail, and that the properties of turbulence vary as a function of the distance from the reconnecting X-line.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2018

Exact hybrid-Vlasov equilibria for sheared plasmas with in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic field

The hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell system of equations is suitable to describe a magnetized plasma at scales of the order of or larger than proton kinetic scales. An exact stationary solution is presented by revisiting previous results with a uniform-density shear flow, directed either parallel or perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field, and by adapting the solution to the hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell model. A quantitative characterization of the equilibrium distribution function is provided by studying both analytically and numerically the temperature anisotropy and gyrotropy and the heat flux. In both cases, in the shear region, the velocity distribution significantly departs from local thermodynamical equilibrium. A comparison between the time behavior of the usual "fluid-like" equilibrium shifted Maxwellian and the exact stationary solutions is carried out by means of numerical simulations of the hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell equations. These hybrid equilibria can be employed as an unperturbed states for numerous problems which involve sheared flows, such as the wave propagation in inhomogeneous background and the onset of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

Colliding Alfvénic wave packets in MHD, Hall and kinetic simulations

The analysis of the Parker-Moffatt problem, recently revisited in Pezzi et al. (2016), is here extended by including the Hall magnetohydrodynamics and two hybrid kinetic Vlasov-Maxwell numerical models. The presence of dispersive and kinetic features is studied in detail and a comparison between the two kinetic codes is also reported. Focus on the presence of non-Maxwellian signatures shows that - during the collision - regions characterized by strong temperature anisotropy are recovered and the proton distribution function displays a beam along the direction of the magnetic field, similar to some recent observations of the solar wind.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2016

Revisiting a classic: the Parker-Moffatt problem

The interaction of two colliding Alfvén wave packets is here described by means of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and hybrid kinetic numerical simulations. The MHD evolution revisits the theoretical insights described by Moffatt, Parker, Kraichnan, Chandrasekhar and Elsässer in which the oppositely propagating large amplitude wave packets interact for a finite time, initiating turbulence. However, the extension to include compressive and kinetic effects, while maintaining the gross characteristics of the simpler classic formulation, also reveals intriguing features which go beyond the pure MHD treatment.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2016

Transition to kinetic turbulence at proton scales driven by large-amplitude Kinetic Alfvèn fluctuations

Space plasmas are dominated by the presence of large-amplitude waves, large-scale inhomogeneities, kinetic effects and turbulence. Beside the homogeneous turbulence, generation of small scale fluctuations can take place also in other realistic configurations, namely, when perturbations superpose to an inhomogeneous background magnetic field. When an Alfvén wave propagates in a medium where the Alfvén speed varies in a direction transverse to the mean field, it undergoes phase-mixing, which progressively bends wavefronts, generating small scales in the transverse direction. As soon as transverse scales get of the order of the proton inertial length $d_p$, kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) are naturally generated. KAWs belong to the branch of Alfvén waves and propagate nearly perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field, at scales close to $d_p$. Many numerical, observational and theoretical works have suggested that these fluctuations may play a determinant role in the development of the solar-wind turbulent cascade. In the present paper, the generation of large amplitude KAW fluctuations in inhomogeneous background and their effect on the protons have been investigated by means of hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell direct numerical simulations. Imposing a pressure balanced magnetic shear, the kinetic dynamics of protons has been investigated by varying both the magnetic configuration and the amplitude of the initial perturbations. Of interest here is the transition from quasi-linear to turbulent regimes, focusing, in particular, on the development of important non-Maxwellian features in the proton distribution function driven by KAW fluctuations.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2015

Kinetic Alfvén waves generation by large-scale phase-mixing

One view of the solar-wind turbulence is that the observed highly anisotropic fluctuations at spatial scales near the proton inertial length $d_p$ may be considered as Kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs). In the present paper, we show how phase-mixing of large-scale parallel propagating Alfvén waves is an efficient mechanism for the production of KAWs at wavelengths close to $d_p$ and at large propagation angle with respect to the magnetic field. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), Hall-Magnetohydrodynamic (HMHD), and hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell (HVM) simulations modeling the propagation of Alfvén waves in inhomogeneous plasmas are performed. In linear regime, the role of dispersive effects is singled out by comparing MHD and HMHD results. Fluctuations produced by phase-mixing are identified as KAWs through a comparison of polarization of magnetic fluctuations and wave group velocity with analytical linear predictions. In the nonlinear regime, comparison of HMHD and HVM simulations allows to point out the role of kinetic effects in shaping the proton distribution function. We observe generation of temperature anisotropy with respect to the local magnetic field and production of field-aligned beams. The regions where the proton distribution function highly departs from thermal equilibrium are located inside the shear layers, where the KAWs are excited, this suggesting that the distortions of the proton distribution are driven by a resonant interaction of protons with KAW fluctuations. Our results are relevant in configurations where magnetic field inhomogeneities are present, as, for example, in the solar corona where the presence of Alfvén waves has been ascertained.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2014

Radial evolution of intermittency of density fluctuations in the fast solar wind

We study the radial evolution of intermittency of density fluctuations in the fast solar wind. The study is performed analyzing the plasma density measurements provided by Helios 2 in the inner heliosphere between $0.3$ and $0.9$ AU. The analysis is carried out by means of a complete set of diagnostic tools, including the flatness factor at different time scales to estimate intermittency, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to estimate the degree of intermittency, and the Fourier transform to estimate the power spectral densities of these fluctuations. Density fluctuations within fast wind are rather intermittent and their level of intermittency, together with the amplitude of intermittent events, decreases with distance from the Sun, at odds with intermittency of both magnetic field and all the other plasma parameters. Furthermore, the intermittent events are strongly correlated, exhibiting temporal clustering. This indicates that the mechanism underlying their generation departs from a time-varying Poisson process. A remarkable, qualitative similarity with the behavior of plasma density fluctuations obtained from a numerical study of the nonlinear evolution of parametric instability in the solar wind supports the idea that this mechanism has an important role in governing density fluctuations in the inner heliosphere.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2005

Modeling a coronal loop heated by MHD-turbulence nanoflares

We model the hydrodynamic evolution of the plasma confined in a coronal loop, 30000 km long, subject to the heating of nanoflares due to intermittent magnetic dissipative events in the MHD turbulence produced by loop footpoint motions. We use the time-dependent distribution of energy dissipation along the loop obtained from a hybrid shell model, occurring for a magnetic field of about 10 G in corona; the relevant heating per unit volume along the loop is used in the Palermo-Harvard loop plasma hydrodynamic model. We describe the results focussing on the effects produced by the most intense heat pulses, which lead to loop temperatures between 1 and 1.5 MK.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

On the probability distribution function of small scale interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations

In spite of a large number of papers dedicated to study MHD turbulence in the solar wind there are still some simple questions which have never been sufficiently addressed like: a)do we really know how the magnetic field vector orientation fluctuates in space? b) what is the statistics followed by the orientation of the vector itself? c) does the statistics change as the wind expands into the interplanetary space? A better understanding of these points can help us to better characterize the nature of interplanetary fluctuations and can provide useful hints to investigators who try to numerically simulate MHD turbulence. This work follows a recent paper presented by the same authors. This work follows a recent paper presented by some of the authors which shows that these fluctuations might resemble a sort of random walk governed by a Truncated Leevy Flight statistics. However, the limited statistics used in that paper did not allow final conclusions but only speculative hypotheses. In this work we aim to address the same problem using a more robust statistics which on one hand forces us not to consider velocity fluctuations but, on the other hand allows us to establish the nature of the governing statistics of magnetic fluctuations with more confidence. In addition, we show how features similar to those found in the present statistical analysis for the fast speed streams of solar wind, are qualitatively recovered in numerical simulations of the parametric instability. This might offer an alternative viewpoint for interpreting the questions raised above.

physics.space-ph↗