Related papers: Models of Collisionless Quasineutral Solar Wind Cu…
The properties of current sheets forming in a ion-kinetically turbulent collisionless plasma are investigated by utilizing the results of two-dimensional hybrid-kinetic numerical simulations. For this sake the algorithm proposed by Zhdankin…
A multispecies, collisionless plasma is modeled by the Vlasov-Poisson system. Assuming that the electric field decays with sufficient rapidity as $t \to\infty$, we show that the velocity characteristics and spatial averages of the particle…
The presence of current singularities in a quasisymmetric magnetic field is explored. Quasisymmetry is shown effective in isolating Pfirsch-Schl\"{u}ter singularities, to leading order, to a single magnetic surface resonant with the…
The collisionless dissipation of anisotropic Alfv\'enic turbulence is a promising candidate to solve the solar wind heating problem. Extensive studies examined the kinetic properties of Alfv\'en waves in simple Maxwellian or bi-Maxwellian…
In-situ observations of the solar wind (SW) plasma from 0.29 to 1AU show that the protons and alpha particles are often non-Maxwellian, with evidence of kinetic instabilities, temperature anisotropies, differential ion streaming, and…
Space plasmas are collisionpoor and kinetic effects prevail leading to wave fluctuations, which transfer the energy to small scales: wave-particle interactions replace collisions and enhance dispersive effects heating particles and…
We investigate the role of kinetic instabilities driven by a proton anisotropy on the onset of magnetic reconnection by means of 2-D hybrid simulations. The collisionless tearing of a current sheet is studied in the presence of a proton…
Non-thermal power-law distribution functions are ubiquitous in astrophysical, space, and laboratory kinetic plasmas, but their origin remains unclear. A related puzzle is the temperature inversion of the solar corona. We show that these…
Observations show that plasma particles in the solar wind frequently display power-law velocity distributions, which can be isotropic or anisotropic. Particularly, the velocity distribution functions of solar wind electrons are frequently…
The properties of a partially ionized plasma in a long cylindrical tube subject to a uniform axial electric field are investigated. The plasma is maintained by an external ionizing source balanced by bulk and surface recombinations.…
We present the first study of the formation and dissipation of current sheets at electron scales in a wave-driven, weakly collisional, 3D kinetic turbulence simulation. We investigate the relative importance of dissipation associated with…
In this study, the physics of sheath formation in a collisional two-electron temperature plasma in the presence of an oblique external magnetic field has been investigated. At first, a comparative study among the fluid electron model,…
Many questions remain about the compressibility of solar wind turbulence with respect to its origins and properties. Low plasma beta (ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure) environments allow for the easier generation of compressible…
The current sheet is an essential feature in solar flares and is the primary site for magnetic reconnetion and energy release. Imaging observations feature a long linear structure above the candle-flame-shaped flare loops, which resembles…
Anisotropic, non-thermal, and multi-temperature distributed particle momenta are commonly observed in collisionless space plasmas, such as the solar wind. Using Liouville's theorem, we argue that anisotropic compression or expansion of the…
Compressive fluctuations are a minor yet significant component of astrophysical plasma turbulence. In the solar wind, long-wavelength compressive slow-mode fluctuations lead to changes in $\beta_{\parallel \mathrm p}\equiv 8\pi n_{\mathrm…
An innovative field-particle correlation technique is proposed that uses single-point measurements of the electromagnetic fields and particle velocity distribution functions to investigate the net transfer of energy from fields to particles…
We use a numerical nonlinear multigrid magnetic relaxation technique to investigate the generation of current sheets in three-dimensional magnetic flux braiding experiments. We are able to catalogue the relaxed nonlinear force-free…
In the solar corona and solar wind, electron heat conduction is an important process that transports energy over large distances and helps determine the spatial variation of temperature. High-density regions undergoing rapid…
Partially-ionized plasmas consist of charged and neutral particles whose mutual collisions modify magnetic reconnection compared with the fully-ionized case. The collisions alter the rate and locations of the magnetic dissipation heating…