Related papers: Three dimensional, spherically polarized magnetic …
We discuss properties of Alfv\'enic fluctuations with large amplitude in plasmas characterised by low magnetic field compression. We note that in such systems power laws can not develop with arbitrarily steep slopes at large scales, i.e.…
One of the most striking observations made by Parker Solar Probe during its first solar encounter is the omnipresence of rapid polarity reversals in a magnetic field that is otherwise mostly radial. These so-called switchbacks strongly…
The density fluctuation spectrum in the solar wind reveals a Kolmogorov-like scaling with a spectral slope of -5/3 in wavenumber space. The energy transfer process in the magnetized solar wind, characterized typically by MHD turbulence,…
Interplanetary magnetic field magnitude fluctuations are notoriously more intermittent than velocity fluctuations in both fast and slow wind. This behaviour has been interpreted in terms of the anomalous scaling observed in passive scalars…
Turbulence is a ubiquitous process that transfers energy across many spatial and temporal scales, thereby influencing particle transport and heating. Recent progress has improved our understanding of the anisotropy of turbulence with…
At kinetic scales in the solar wind, instabilities transfer energy from particles to fluctuations in the electromagnetic fields while restoring plasma conditions towards thermodynamic equilibrium. We investigate the interplay between…
The Interplanetary Magnetic Field shows complex spatial and temporal variations. Single spacecraft measurements reveal only a one dimensional section of this rich four dimensional phenomenon. Multi-point measurements of the four Cluster…
Recent measurements of solar wind turbulence report the presence of intermittent, exponentially distributed angular discontinuities in the magnetic field. In this Letter, we study whether such discontinuities can be produced by…
We present a solitary Alfv\'en wave model that exhibits nontrivial three-dimensional twisting of open magnetic field lines while preserving constant $|B|$. Embedded rotational discontinuities sharply deflect the otherwise uniform field…
Although the interplanetary magnetic field variability has been extensively investigated in situ by means of data coming from several space missions, the newly launched missions providing high-resolution measures and approaching the Sun,…
The rich structure that we observe in molecular clouds is due to the interplay between strong magnetic fields and supersonic (turbulent) velocity fluctuations. The velocity fluctuations interact with the magnetic field, causing it too to…
Solar wind magnetic fluctuation spectra exhibit a significant power law steepening at frequencies f>1Hz. The origin of this multi-scaling is investigated through dispersive Hall magnetohydrodynamics. We perform three-dimensional numerical…
Magnetic switchbacks are large amplitude deflections of the magnetic field within the solar wind. They are Alfv\'enic in character and so are associated with a spike in velocity and a generally small variation in local plasma density. Early…
We investigate properties of the plasma fluid motion in the large amplitude low frequency fluctuations of highly Alfv\'enic fast solar wind. We show that protons locally conserve total kinetic energy when observed from an effective frame of…
A model for strong kinetic Alfv\'en plasma turbulence at scales smaller than the ion gyroscale is proposed. It is argued that magnetic and density fluctuations are concentrated mostly at two-dimensional structures, which leads to their…
We analyzed intermittency in the solar wind, as observed on the ecliptic plane, looking at magnetic field and velocity fluctuations between 0.3 and 1 AU, for both fast and slow wind and for compressive and directional fluctuations. Our…
The density fluctuation spectrum in the solar wind reveals a Kolmogorov-like scaling with a spectral slope of -5/3 in wavenumber space. The energy transfer process in the magnetized solar wind, characterized typically by MHD turbulence,…
The behavior of magnetic field lines in a turbulent plasma is a key property of the medium, with important consequences for plasma dynamics and charged-particle transport. We study the diffusion properties of magnetic field lines in…
Solar wind plasma is supposed to be structured in magnetic flux tubes carried from the solar surface. Tangential velocity discontinuity near the boundaries of individual tubes may result in Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, which may contribute…
We extend a two-component model for the evolution of fluctuations in the solar wind plasma so that it is fully three-dimensional (3D) and also coupled self-consistently to the large-scale magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations describing the…