Collisionless ion-electron energy exchange in magnetized shocks
Plasma Physics
2025-04-25 v1
Abstract
Energy partition between ions and electrons in collisionless shocks has long been an unsolved fundamental physical problem. We show that kinetic simulations of moderate Alfv\'enic Mach number, magnetized, collisionless shocks reveal rapid, faster-than-Coulomb, energy exchange between ions and electrons when the plasma is sufficiently magnetized. Using kinetic and multi-fluid models with counter-streaming ions, we identify resonances between electron whistler and ion magnetohydrodynamic waves that account for this rapid energy exchange.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2504.17774,
title = {Collisionless ion-electron energy exchange in magnetized shocks},
author = {Y. Zhang and P. V. Heuer and H. Wen and J. R. Davies and C. Ren and D. B. Schaeffer and E. G. Blackman and J. Zhang and A. Bret and F. García-Rubio},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.17774},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
In review