Growth of Outward Propagating Fast-magnetosonic/Whistler Waves in the Inner Heliosphere Observed by Parker Solar Probe

The solar wind in the inner heliosphere has been observed by Parker Solar Probe (PSP) to exhibit abundant wave activities. The cyclotron wave modes responding to ions or electrons are among the most crucial wave components. However, their origin and evolution in the inner heliosphere close to the Sun remains a mystery. Specifically, it remains unknown whether it is an emitted signal from the solar atmosphere or an eigenmode growing locally in the heliosphere due to plasma instability. To address and resolve this controversy, we must investigate the key quantity of the energy change rate of the wave mode. We develop a new technique to measure the energy change rate of plasma waves, and apply this technique to the wave electromagnetic fields measured by PSP. We provide the wave Poynting flux in the solar wind frame, identify the wave nature to be the outward propagating fast-magnetosonic/whistler wave mode instead of the sunward propagating waves. We provide the first evidence for growth of the fast-magnetosonic/whistler wave mode in the inner heliosphere based on the derived spectra of the real and imaginary parts of the wave frequencies. The energy change rate rises and stays at a positive level in the same wavenumber range as the bumps of the electromagnetic field power spectral densities, clearly manifesting that the observed fast-magnetosonic/whistler waves are locally growing to a large amplitude

Nature, Generation, and Dissipation of Alfvénic Kinks/Switchbacks Observed by Parker Solar Probe and WIND

The discovery of very prominent magnetic kinks/switchbacks in the solar wind within 0.3 au has become a scientific highlight of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission. This discovery points at the promising impact of small-scale solar activity on the inner heliosphere. To address the nature, generation, and dissipation of these kinks, we perform a statistical analysis of the plasma and boundary properties of the kinks using PSP multi-encounter observations and WIND measurements at 1 au. The kinks show strong Alfvénicity and velocity fluctuations of the order of the local Alfvén speed. These findings suggest that the nature of the kinks is consistent with large-amplitude Alfvén pulses, and the steepening of these Alfvén pulses is likely the formation mechanism of these kinks. Based on the angle between the normal direction of the kinks’ boundaries and the background magnetic field vector, PSP kinks and WIND kinks can be divided into two groups: quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular kinks. We speculate that quasi-parallel kinks form through the coupling of Alfvén and fast waves as launched from coronal interchange magnetic reconnection. In contrast, quasi-perpendicular kinks may come from the steepening of Alfvén waves launched from both coronal interchange magnetic reconnection and from the more inhomogeneous lower solar atmosphere. We find that the kink velocity perturbation gradually decreases during outward propagation and is much lower than expected from WKB theory, suggesting a progressive dissipation of the kinks. Comparing PSP kinks and WIND kinks, we conjecture that the kinks dissipate through merging with the turbulent energy cascade within 0.25 au

Possible Generation Mechanism for Compressional Alfv\'enic Spikes as Observed by Parker Solar Probe

The solar wind is found by Parker Solar Probe (PSP) to be abundant with Alfv\'enic velocity spikes and magnetic field kinks. Temperature enhancement is another remarkable feature associated with the Alfv\'enic spikes. How the prototype of these coincident phenomena is generated intermittently in the source region becomes a hot topic of wide concerns. Here we propose a new model introducing guide-field discontinuity into the interchange magnetic reconnection between open funnels and closed loops with different magnetic helicities. The modified interchange reconnection model not only can accelerate jet flows from the newly opening closed loop but also excite and launch Alfv\'enic wave pulses along the newly-reconnected and post-reconnected open flux tubes. We find that the modeling results can reproduce the following observational features: (1) Alfv\'en disturbance is pulsive in time and asymmetric in space; (2) Alfv\'enic pulse is compressible with temperature enhancement and density variation inside the pulse. We point out that three physical processes co-happening with Alfv\'en wave propagation can be responsible for the temperature enhancement: (a) convection of heated jet flow plasmas (decrease in density), (b) propagation of compressed slow-mode waves (increase in density), and (c) conduction of heat flux (weak change in density). We also suggest that the radial nonlinear evolution of the Alfv\'enic pulses should be taken into account to explain the formation of magnetic switchback geometry

Coherence of ion cyclotron resonance for damping ion cyclotron waves in space plasmas

Ion cyclotron resonance is one of the fundamental energy conversion processes through field-particle interaction in collisionless plasmas. However, the key evidence for ion cyclotron resonance (i.e., the coherence between electromagnetic fields and the ion phase space density) and the resulting damping of ion cyclotron waves (ICWs) has not yet been directly observed. Investigating the high-quality measurements of space plasmas by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites, we find that both the wave electromagnetic field vectors and the bulk velocity of the disturbed ion velocity distribution rotate around the background magnetic field. Moreover, we find that the absolute gyro-phase angle difference between the center of the fluctuations in the ion velocity distribution functions and the wave electric field vectors falls in the range of (0, 90) degrees, consistent with the ongoing energy conversion from wave-fields to particles. By invoking plasma kinetic theory, we demonstrate that the field-particle correlation for the damping ion cyclotron waves in our theoretical model matches well with our observations. Furthermore, the wave electric field vectors ($\delta \mathbf{E'}_{\mathrm {wave,\perp}}$), the ion current density ($\delta \mathbf{J}_\mathrm {i,\perp}$) and the energy transfer rate ($\delta \mathbf{J}_\mathrm {i,\perp}\cdot \delta \mathbf{E'}_{\mathrm {wave,\perp}}$) exhibit quasi-periodic oscillations, and the integrated work done by the electromagnetic field on the ions are positive, indicates that ions are mainly energized by the perpendicular component of the electric field via cyclotron resonance. Therefore, our combined analysis of MMS observations and kinetic theory provides direct, thorough, and comprehensive evidence for ICW damping in space plasmas

Statistical Study of Anisotropic Proton Heating in Interplanetary Magnetic Switchbacks Measured by Parker Solar Probe

Magnetic switchbacks, which are large angular deflections of the interplanetary magnetic field, are frequently observed by Parker Solar Probe (PSP) in the inner heliosphere. Magnetic switchbacks are believed to play an important role in the heating of the solar corona and the solar wind as well as the acceleration of the solar wind in the inner heliosphere. Here, we analyze magnetic field data and plasma data measured by PSP during its second and fourth encounters, and select 71 switchback events with reversals of the radial component of the magnetic field at times of unchanged electron-strahl pitch angles. We investigate the anisotropic thermal kinetic properties of plasma during switchbacks in a statistical study of the measured proton temperatures in the parallel and perpendicular directions as well as proton density and specific proton fluid entropy. We apply the “genetic algorithm” method to directly fit the measured velocity distribution functions in field-aligned coordinates using a two-component bi-Maxwellian distribution function. We find that the protons in most switchback events are hotter than the ambient plasma outside the switchbacks, with characteristics of parallel and perpendicular heating. Specifically, significant parallel and perpendicular temperature increases are seen for 45 and 62 of the 71 events, respectively. We find that the density of most switchback events decreases rather than increases, which indicates that proton heating inside the switchbacks is not caused by adiabatic compression, but is probably generated by nonadiabatic heating caused by field–particle interactions. Accordingly, the proton fluid entropy is greater inside the switchbacks than in the ambient solar wind

Efficient Energy Conversion through Vortex Arrays in the Turbulent Magnetosheath

Turbulence is often enhanced when transmitted through a collisionless plasma shock. We investigate how the enhanced turbulent energy in the Earth's magnetosheath effectively dissipates via vortex arrays. This research topic is of great importance as it relates to particle energization at astrophysical shocks across the universe. Wave modes and intermittent coherent structures are the key candidate mechanisms for energy conversion in turbulent plasmas. Here, by comparing in-situ measurements in the Earth's magnetosheath with a theoretical model, we find the existence of vortex arrays at the transition between the downstream regions of the Earth's bow shock. Vortex arrays consist of quasi-orthogonal kinetic waves and exhibit both high volumetric filling factors and strong local energy conversion, thereby showing a greater dissipative energization than traditional waves and coherent structures. Therefore, we propose that vortex arrays are a promising mechanism for efficient energy conversion in the sheath regions downstream of astrophysical shocks

Non-field-aligned Proton Beams and Their Roles in the Growth of Fast Magnetosonic/Whistler Waves: Solar Orbiter Observations

The proton beam is an important population of the non-Maxwellian proton velocity distribution in the solar wind, but its role in wave activity remains unclear. In particular, the velocity vector of the proton beam and its influence on wave growth/damping have not been addressed before. Here we explore the origin and the associated particle dynamics of a kinetic wave event in the solar wind by analyzing measurements from Solar Orbiter and comparing them with theoretical predictions from linear Vlasov theory. We identify the waves as outward-propagating circularly polarized fast magnetosonic/whistler (FM/W) waves. The proton’s velocity distribution functions can destabilize FM/W waves. According to linear Vlasov theory, the velocity fluctuations of the core and the beam associated with FM/W waves render the original field-aligned background drift velocity non-field-aligned. This non-field-aligned drift velocity carrying the information of the velocity fluctuations of the core and the beam is responsible for the wave growth/damping. Specifically, for the FM/W waves we analyze, the non-field-aligned fluctuating velocity of the beam population is responsible for the growth of these unstable waves in the presence of a proton beam. In contrast, the core population plays the opposite role, partially suppressing the wave growth. Remarkably, the observed drift velocity vector between the core and the beam is not field aligned during an entire wave period. This result contrasts the traditional expectation that the proton beam is field aligned

Ion Energization and Thermalization in Magnetic Reconnection Exhaust Region in the Solar Wind

Plasma energization and thermalization in magnetic reconnection is an important topic in astrophysical studies. We select two magnetic reconnection exhausts encountered by Solar Orbiter and analyze the associated ion heating in the kinetic regime. Both cases feature asymmetric plasma merging in the exhaust and anisotropic heating. For a quantitative investigation of the associated complex velocity-space structures, we adopt a three-dimensional Hermite representation of the proton velocity distribution function to produce the distribution of Hermite moments. We also derive the enstrophy and Hermite spectra to analyze the free energy conversion and transfer in phase space. We find a depletion of Hermite power at small m (corresponding to large-scale structures in velocity space) inside the reconnection exhaust region, concurrent with enhanced proton temperature and decreased enstrophy. Furthermore, the slopes of the 1D time-averaged parallel Hermite spectra are lower inside the exhaust and consistent with the effect of phase mixing that creates small fluctuations in velocity space. These fluctuations store free energy at higher m and are smoothed by weak collisionality, leading to irreversible thermalization. We also suggest that the perpendicular heating may happen via perpendicular phase mixing resulting from finite Larmor radius effects around the exhaust boundary

Observations of rapidly growing whistler waves in front of space plasma shock

Whistler mode wave is a fundamental perturbation of electromagnetic fields and plasmas in various environments including planetary space, laboratory and astrophysics. The origin and evolution of the waves are a long-standing question due to the limited instrumental capability in resolving highly variable plasma and electromagnetic fields. Here, we analyse data with the high time resolution from the multi-scale magnetospheric spacecraft in the weak magnetic environment (i.e., foreshock) enabling a relatively long gyro-period of whistler mode wave. Moreover, we develop a novel approach to separate the three-dimensional fluctuating electron velocity distributions from their background, and have successfully captured the coherent resonance between electrons and electromagnetic fields at high frequency, providing the resultant growth rate of unstable whistler waves. Regarding the energy origin for the waves, the ion distributions are found to also play crucial roles in determining the eigenmode disturbances of fields and electrons. The quantification of wave growth rate can significantly advance the understandings of the wave evolution and the energy conversion with particles