arXiv subjects

Vadim Roytershteyn

Publications and source records attributed to Vadim Roytershteyn.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Particle acceleration in Alfvénic turbulence with a strong guide field

Magnetically dominated Alfvénic turbulence creates an effective environment for particle acceleration. However, when a strong mean field is present, traditional mechanisms like mirror and curvature acceleration become inefficient at explaining non-thermal particle energy distributions. Based on numerical and phenomenological study, we propose that in such turbulence, particles are accelerated in charge-starved current sheets, corresponding to current velocities approaching the speed of light. The distributions of the electric currents, plasma density, fluctuations of electric charge, as well as the energy distributions of accelerated particles, approximately follow log-normal statistics. Non-thermal particle distributions thus arise from particle acceleration in these charge-starved current sheets rather than from conventional Fermi-type particle acceleration by turbulent eddies.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Distributions of particles accelerated by strong Alfvénic turbulence

This work presents a model for generating nonthermal power-law tails of particles' energy probability density functions in turbulent collisionless plasmas, applicable to both non-relativistic and relativistic scenarios. We propose that strong Alfvénic turbulence energizes plasma particles through curvature acceleration, particularly for particles with Larmor radii comparable to the scales of turbulence. When the energy density of the energized particles increases, the efficiency of the energy exchange process diminishes. As a result, the acceleration process saturates, leading to power-law distributions of particle momentum and energy. In the non-relativistic case, the momentum probability density function scales as $f(p) dp \propto p^{-3} dp $, while in the ultrarelativistic case, the energy probability density function scales as $ f(γ) dγ\propto γ^{-3} dγ$, where $γ$ is the Lorentz factor. This model provides a unified framework for understanding particle acceleration in both energy regimes, complementing existing analytical approaches. The predicted scalings are consistent with available observations of energetic ion distributions in the heliosphere and with the findings from numerical simulations of ultrarelativistic particle acceleration in magnetically dominated plasma turbulence.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2026

Mixed Hermite-Legendre spectral method for kinetic plasma simulations

Kinetic collisionless plasma equations are commonly solved via spectral methods in velocity space. The most commonly used spectral method is based on Hermite polynomials with a Maxwellian weight, as this basis efficiently represents near-Maxwellian distributions with relatively few degrees of freedom. An alternative approach uses Legendre polynomials, which are better suited for resolving strongly non-Maxwellian features. In this paper, we propose a mixed method that combines the Hermite and Legendre expansions. The mixed method is particularly advantageous for problems in which non-Maxwellian features are localized in velocity space, such as beams and plateaus. We demonstrate analytically and numerically that the mixed method conserves total mass, momentum, and energy by imposing certain constraints. The numerical results show that, for the same number of degrees of freedom, the proposed mixed method can achieve improved accuracy in comparison to the individual Hermite or Legendre methods, while maintaining comparable computational cost.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2026

Secondary drift-driven instabilities in the presence of a parallel-propagating electromagnetic ion cyclotron wave and cold multi-component ions

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves are commonly observed in Earth's inner magnetosphere, particularly during geomagnetic storms driven by anisotropic ring-current protons. While their role in radiation belt scattering of hot ions is well established, their interaction with the cold (less than 100 eV) plasma remains less understood. This is partly due to limited magnetospheric cold ion observations, as spacecraft charging can prevent cold ions from reaching onboard instruments. It is well-known that the electric field of a parallel-propagating EMIC wave can drive inter-species perpendicular polarization drifts that excite lower-hybrid secondary instabilities. In multi-component plasmas, these include the modified two-stream and the ion-ion cross-field instabilities. In this paper, we study the impact of such secondary instabilities on the parallel-propagating EMIC wave and multi-component plasma via a fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulation and linear theory. We find that the secondary waves persist even at low EMIC amplitudes, provided the cold population remains sufficiently cold. The kinetic simulation demonstrates that these secondary modes produce anisotropic heating of cold protons and singly-charged oxygen ions, primarily in the direction perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field and of electrons in both parallel and perpendicular directions.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2026

Understanding cold electron impact on parallel-propagating whistler chorus waves via moment-based quasilinear theory

Earth's magnetosphere hosts a wide range of collisionless particle populations that interact through various wave-particle processes. Among these, cold electrons, with energies below 100eV, often dominate the plasma density but remain poorly characterized due to measurement challenges such as spacecraft charging and photoelectron contamination. Understanding the contribution of these cold populations to wave-particle interaction is of significant interest. Recent kinetic simulations identified a secondary drift-driven instability in which parallel-propagating whistler-mode chorus waves excite oblique electrostatic whistler waves near the resonance cone and Bernstein-mode turbulence. These secondary modes enable a new channel of energy transfer from the parallel-propagating whistler wave to the cold electrons. In this work, we develop a moment-based quasilinear theory of the secondary instabilities to quantify such energy exchange. Our results show that these secondary instabilities persist for a wide range of parameters and, in many cases, lead to nearly complete damping of the primary wave. Such secondary instability might limit the amplitude of parallel-propagating whistler waves in Earth's magnetosphere and might explain why high-amplitude oblique whistler or electron Bernstein waves are rarely observed simultaneously with high-amplitude field-aligned whistler waves in the inner magnetosphere.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2026

Particle acceleration and pitch-angle evolution in relativistic turbulence

Synchrotron radiation detected from relativistic astrophysical objects such as pulsar-wind nebulae and {jets from active galactic nuclei} depends on the magnetic fields and the distribution functions of energetic electrons in these systems. Relativistic magnetically dominated turbulence has been recognized as an efficient mechanism for structure formation and non-thermal particle acceleration in these environments. Recent numerical simulations of relativistic turbulence have provided insights into the energy distribution functions of accelerated electrons. Much less is currently understood about their {pitch angle distributions}, which are crucial for accurately interpreting the spectra of synchrotron radiation. {We perform a detailed case study of} the pitch angle distributions formed during the process of turbulent acceleration {for $B_0/δB_0 = 10$ and $\tildeσ_0 \sim 40$, where $B_0$ is the uniform component of the magnetic field, $δB_0$ is the fluctuating component, and $\tildeσ_0$ is the plasma magnetization based on the magnetic fluctuations. We find that even minimal numerical noise can cause substantial pitch angle scattering, but we demonstrate techniques for overcoming the numerical challenges associated with the evolution of very small pitch angles. Our numerical results are consistent with the phenomenological model found in \cite[][]{vega2024b,vega2025}.}

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

On the origin of the dominant waves in the extended solar corona

The extended solar corona at 10-30 solar radii is essentially devoid of all waves below 100 kHz other than triggered ion acoustic waves (TIAW), which consist of a low frequency electromagnetic wave at a frequency of a few Hz coupled to one or more electrostatic waves at a few hundred Hz, such that the amplitudes of the higher frequency waves peak at a fixed phase of each low frequency wave period. All the waves in a TIAW event travel at the same phase speed, which is found to be 150 km/sec (the ion acoustic speed was about 100 km/sec). It has not been possible to explain the TIAW as a resonant wave-wave interaction, so a non-resonant interaction has been considered in which the loss of energy by the low frequency wave is used to both heat the electrons and grow the higher frequency waves. Evidence in support of this explanation is described and a PIC simulation that discusses this process is summarized. This simulation demonstrates wave-particle interactions driven by the enhanced LF fluctuations, which subsequently modify the proton VDF and create conditions favorable for the growth of HF waves. This interplay between a pair of waves, mediated by modifications of plasma parameters and energy conversion, represents a significant nonlinear process in plasma physics, the study of which will deepen the understanding of energy transfer, wave generation, and plasma dynamics in diverse astrophysical environments.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Magnitude of Short-Wavelength Electric Field Fluctuations in Simulations of Collisionless Plasma Shocks

Large-amplitude electrostatic fluctuations are routinely observed by spacecraft upon traversal of collisionless shocks in the heliosphere. Kinetic simulations of shocks have struggled to reproduce the amplitude of such fluctuations, complicating efforts to understand their influence on energy dissipation and shock structure. In this paper, 1D particle-in-cell simulations with realistic proton-to-electron mass ratio are used to show that in cases with upstream electron temperature $T_e$ exceeding the ion temperature $T_i$, the magnitude of the fluctuations increases with the electron plasma-to-cyclotron frequency ratio $ω_{pe}/Ω_{ce}$, reaching realistic values at $ω_{pe}/Ω_{ce} \gtrsim 30$. The large-amplitude fluctuations in the simulations are shown to be associated with electrostatic solitary structures, such as ion phase-space holes. In the cases where upstream temperature ratio is reversed, the magnitude of the fluctuations remains small.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2025

Anisotropic particle acceleration in Alfvénic turbulence

Alfvénic turbulence is an effective mechanism for particle acceleration in strongly magnetized, relativistic plasma. In this study, we investigate a scenario where turbulent plasma is influenced by a strong guide magnetic field, resulting in highly anisotropic turbulent fluctuations. In such cases, the magnetic moments of particles are conserved, which means that acceleration can only occur along the direction of the magnetic field. Consistent with previous analytic studies, we find through PIC simulations of magnetically dominated pair plasma that the momenta of accelerated particles are closely aligned with the magnetic field lines. Notably, the alignment angle decreases as particle energy increases, potentially limited only by the inherent curvature and gradients of the turbulent magnetic fluctuations. This finding has significant implications for interpreting the synchrotron radiation emitted by highly accelerated particles.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Oblique Instability of Quasi-Parallel Whistler Waves in the Presence of Cold and Warm Electron Populations

Whistler waves propagating nearly parallel to the ambient magnetic field experience a nonlinear instability that generates oblique electrostatic waves, including whistlers near the resonance cone that resemble oblique chorus in the Earth's magnetosphere. Focusing on the generation of oblique whistlers, earlier analysis of the instability is extended to the case where low-energy background plasma consists of both a "cold" population with energy ~ eV and a "warm" electron component with energy ~100 eV. This is motivated by observations in the Earth's magnetosphere where oblique chorus waves were shown to interact resonantly with the warm electrons. The main results are: i) the instability producing oblique whistlers is sensitive to the shape of the electron distribution at low energies. In the whistler range of frequencies, two distinct peaks in the growth rate are typically present: one at low wavenumbers associated with the warm population and one at high wavenumbers associated with the cold population; ii) the instability producing oblique whistler waves persists in cases where the temperature of the cold population is relatively high, including cases where cold population is absent and only the warm population is included; iii) particle-in-cell simulations show that the instability leads to heating of the background plasma and formation of characteristic resonant plateau and beam features in the electron distribution. The plateau/beam features have been previously detected in spacecraft observations of oblique chorus waves. However, they were attributed to external sources and were proposed to be the mechanism generating oblique chorus. In the present scenario, the causality link is reversed: the instability generating oblique whistler waves is shown to be a possible mechanism to generate the plateau/beam features.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2024

Particle acceleration in relativistic Alfvénic turbulence

Strong magnetically dominated Alfvénic turbulence is an efficient engine of non-thermal particle acceleration in a relativistic collisionless plasma. We argue that in the limit of strong magnetization, the type of energy distribution attained by accelerated particles depends on the relative strengths of turbulent fluctuations $δB_0$ and the guide field $B_0$. If $δB_0\ll B_0$, the particle magnetic moments are conserved and the acceleration is provided by magnetic curvature drifts. Curvature acceleration energizes particles in the direction parallel to the magnetic field lines, resulting in log-normal tails of particle energy distribution functions. Conversely, if $δB_0 \gtrsim B_0$, interactions of energetic particles with intense turbulent structures can scatter particles, creating a population with large pitch angles. In this case, magnetic mirror effects become important, and turbulent acceleration leads to power-law tails of the energy distribution functions.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Relativistic Alfvén turbulence at kinetic scales

In a strongly magnetized, magnetically dominated relativistic plasma, Alfvénic turbulence can extend to scales much smaller than the particle inertial scales. It leads to an energy cascade somewhat analogous to inertial- or kinetic-Alfvén turbulent cascades existing in non-relativistic space and astrophysical plasmas. Based on phenomenological modeling and particle-in-cell numerical simulations, we propose that the energy spectrum of such relativistic kinetic-scale Alfvénic turbulence is close to $k^{-3}$ or slightly steeper than that due to intermittency corrections or Landau damping. We note the analogy of this spectrum with the Kraichnan spectrum corresponding to the enstrophy cascade in 2D incompressible fluid turbulence. Such turbulence strongly energizes particles in the direction parallel to the background magnetic field, leading to nearly one-dimensional particle momentum distributions. We find that these distributions have universal log-normal statistics.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Balancing art and money in pursuit of a Kelly-type optimality

We introduce and study a mathematical model of an art collector. In our model, the collector is a rational agent whose actions in the art market are driven by two competing long-term objectives, namely sustainable financial health and maintaining the collection. Mathematically, our model is a two-dimensional random linear dynamical system with transformation matrix of a peculiar type. In some examples we are able to show that within the Kelly-type optimization paradigm, that is optimizing the system's Lyapunov exponent over a set of policy parameters, the dilemma ``art or money" can be successfully resolved, namely the optimal policy creates a coexistence equilibrium where the value of both is increasing over the time.

math.PR↗

arXiv2023

Effective Viscosity, Resistivity, and Reynolds Number in Weakly Collisional Plasma Turbulence

We examine dissipation and energy conversion in weakly collisional plasma turbulence, employing in situ observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission and kinetic Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations of proton-electron plasma. A previous result indicated the presence of viscous-like and resistive-like scaling of average energy conversion rates -- analogous to scalings characteristic of collisional systems. This allows for extraction of collisional-like coefficients of effective viscosity and resistivity, and thus also determination of effective Reynolds numbers based on these coefficients. The effective Reynolds number, as a measure of the available bandwidth for turbulence to populate various scales, links macro turbulence properties with kinetic plasma properties in a novel way.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Electron-Scale Current Sheets and Energy Dissipation in 3D Kinetic-Scale Plasma Turbulence with Low Electron Beta

3D kinetic-scale turbulence is studied numerically in the regime where electrons are strongly magnetized (the ratio of plasma species pressure to magnetic pressure is $β_e=0.1$ for electrons and $β_i=1$ for ions). Such a regime is relevant in the vicinity of the solar corona, the Earth's magnetosheath, and other astrophysical systems. The simulations, performed using the fluid-kinetic spectral plasma solver (SPS) code, demonstrate that the turbulent cascade in such regimes can reach scales smaller than the electron inertial scale, and results in the formation of electron-scale current sheets (ESCS). Statistical analysis of the geometrical properties of the detected ESCS is performed using an algorithm based on the medial axis transform. A typical half-thickness of the current sheets is found to be on the order of electron inertial length or below, while their half-length falls between the electron and ion inertial length. The pressure-strain interaction, used as a measure of energy dissipation, exhibits high intermittency, with the majority of the total energy exchange occurring in current structures occupying approximately 20\% of the total volume. Some of the current sheets corresponding to the largest pressure-strain interaction are found to be associated with Alfvénic electron jets and magnetic configurations typical of reconnection. These reconnection candidates represent about $1$\% of all the current sheets identified.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Spatial intermittency of particle distribution in relativistic plasma turbulence

Relativistic magnetically dominated turbulence is an efficient engine for particle acceleration in a collisionless plasma. Ultrarelativistic particles accelerated by interactions with turbulent fluctuations form non-thermal power-law distribution functions in the momentum (or energy) space, $f(γ)dγ\propto γ^{-α}dγ$, where $γ$ is the Lorenz factor. We argue that in addition to exhibiting non-Gaussian distributions over energies, particles energized by relativistic turbulence also become highly intermittent in space. Based on particle-in-cell numerical simulations and phenomenological modeling, we propose that the bulk plasma density has log-normal statistics, while the density of the accelerated particles, $n$, has a power-law distribution function, $P(n)dn\propto n^{-β}dn$. We argue that the scaling exponents are related as $β\approx α+1$, which is broadly consistent with numerical simulations. Non-space-filling, intermittent distributions of plasma density and energy fluctuations may have implications for plasma heating and for radiation produced by relativistic turbulence.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Spectra of magnetic turbulence in a relativistic plasma

We present a phenomenological and numerical study of strong Alfvénic turbulence in a magnetically dominated collisionless relativistic plasma with a strong background magnetic field. In contrast with the non-relativistic case, the energy in such turbulence is contained in magnetic and electric fluctuations. We argue that such turbulence is analogous to turbulence in a strongly magnetized non-relativistic plasma in the regime of broken quasi-neutrality. Our 2D particle-in-cell numerical simulations of turbulence in a relativistic pair plasma find that the spectrum of the total energy has the scaling $k^{-3/2}$, while the difference between the magnetic and electric energies, the so-called residual energy, has the scaling $k^{-2.4}$. The electric and magnetic fluctuations at scale $\ell$ exhibit dynamic alignment with the alignment-angle scaling close to $\cosϕ_\ell\propto \ell^{1/4}$. At scales smaller than the (relativistic) plasma inertial scale, the energy spectrum of relativistic inertial Alfvén turbulence steepens to $k^{-3.5}$.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

Energy-conserving explicit and implicit time integration methods for the multi-dimensional Hermite-DG discretization of the Vlasov-Maxwell equations

We study the conservation properties of the Hermite-discontinuous Galerkin (Hermite-DG) approximation of the Vlasov-Maxwell equations. In this semi-discrete formulation, the total mass is preserved independently for every plasma species. Further, an energy invariant exists if central numerical fluxes are used in the DG approximation of Maxwell's equations, while a dissipative term is present when upwind fluxes are employed. In general, traditional temporal integrators might fail to preserve invariants associated with conservation laws during the time evolution. Hence, we analyze the capability of explicit and implicit Runge-Kutta (RK) temporal integrators to preserve such invariants. Since explicit RK methods can only ensure preservation of linear invariants but do not provide any control on the system energy, we consider modified explicit RK methods in the family of relaxation Runge-Kutta methods (RRK). These methods can be tuned to preserve the energy invariant at the continuous or semi-discrete level, a distinction that is important when upwind fluxes are used in the discretization of Maxwell's equations since upwind provides a numerical source of energy dissipation that is not present when central fluxes are used. We prove that the proposed methods are able to preserve the energy invariant and to maintain the semi-discrete energy dissipation (if present) according to the discretization of Maxwell's equations. An extensive set of numerical experiments corroborates the theoretical findings. It also suggests that maintaining the semi-discrete energy dissipation when upwind fluxes are used leads to an overall better accuracy of the method relative to using upwind fluxes while forcing exact energy conservation.

math.NA↗