Kinetic Heating by Alfvén Waves in Magnetic Shears

Fabio Bacchini, Francesco Pucci, Francesco Malara, and Giovanni Lapenta
Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 025101 – Published 10 January 2022
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Abstract

With first-principles kinetic simulations, we show that a large-scale Alfvén wave (AW) propagating in an inhomogeneous background decays into kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs), triggering ion and electron energization. We demonstrate that the two species can access unequal amounts of the initial AW energy, experiencing differential heating. During the decay process, the electric field carried by KAWs produces non-Maxwellian features in the particle velocity distribution functions, in accordance with space observations. The process we present solely requires the interaction of a large-scale AW with a magnetic shear and may be relevant for several astrophysical and laboratory plasmas.

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  • Received 11 January 2021
  • Revised 27 October 2021
  • Accepted 30 November 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.025101

© 2022 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Plasma Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Fabio Bacchini*

  • Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics, Department of Mathematics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium

Francesco Pucci

  • Istituto per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Plasmi, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISTP-CNR), Via Amendola 122/D, 70126 Bari, Italy and Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics, Department of Mathematics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium

Francesco Malara

  • Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy

Giovanni Lapenta

  • Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics, Department of Mathematics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium

  • *fabio.bacchini@kuleuven.be
  • francesco.pucci@kuleuven.be

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Issue

Vol. 128, Iss. 2 — 14 January 2022

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