754 research outputs found
Weak turbulence theory of the non-linear evolution of the ion ring distribution
The nonlinear evolution of an ion ring instability in a low-beta
magnetospheric plasma is considered. The evolution of the two-dimensional ring
distribution is essentially quasilinear. Ignoring nonlinear processes the
time-scale for the quasilinear evolution is the same as for the linear
instability 1/t_ql gamma_l. However, when nonlinear processes become important,
a new time scale becomes relevant to the wave saturation mechanism. Induced
nonlinear scattering of the lower-hybrid waves by plasma electrons is the
dominant nonlinearity relevant for plasmas in the inner magnetosphere and
typically occurs on the timescale 1/t_ql w(M/m)W/nT, where W is the wave energy
density, nT is the thermal energy density of the background plasma, and M/m is
the ion to electron mass ratio, which has the consequence that the wave
amplitude saturates at a low level, and the timescale for quasilinear
relaxation is extended by orders of magnitude
The Sun's Preferred Longitudes and the Coupling of Magnetic Dynamo Modes
Observations show that solar activity is distributed non-axisymmetrically,
concentrating at "preferred longitudes". This indicates the important role of
non-axisymmetric magnetic fields in the origin of solar activity. We
investigate the generation of the non-axisymmetric fields and their coupling
with axisymmetric solar magnetic field. Our kinematic generation (dynamo) model
operating in a sphere includes solar differential rotation, which approximates
the differential rotation obtained by inversion of helioseismic data, modelled
distributions of the turbulent resistivity, non-axisymmetric mean helicity, and
meridional circulation in the convection zone. We find that (1) the
non-axisymmetric modes are localised near the base of the convection zone,
where the formation of active regions starts, and at latitudes around
; (2) the coupling of non-axisymmetric and axisymmetric modes
causes the non-axisymmetric mode to follow the solar cycle; the phase relations
between the modes are found. (3) The rate of rotation of the first
non-axisymmetric mode is close to that determined in the interplanetary space.Comment: 22 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Quasi-linear analysis of the extraordinary electron wave destabilized by runaway electrons
Runaway electrons with strongly anisotropic distributions present in
post-disruption tokamak plasmas can destabilize the extraordinary electron
(EXEL) wave. The present work investigates the dynamics of the quasi-linear
evolution of the EXEL instability for a range of different plasma parameters
using a model runaway distribution function valid for highly relativistic
runaway electron beams produced primarily by the avalanche process. Simulations
show a rapid pitch-angle scattering of the runaway electrons in the high energy
tail on the time scale. Due to the wave-particle
interaction, a modification to the synchrotron radiation spectrum emitted by
the runaway electron population is foreseen, exposing a possible experimental
detection method for such an interaction
Numerical simulations of the Fourier transformed Vlasov-Maxwell system in higher dimensions --- Theory and applications
We present a review of recent developments of simulations of the
Vlasov-Maxwell system of equations using a Fourier transform method in velocity
space. In this method, the distribution functions for electrons and ions are
Fourier transformed in velocity space, and the resulting set of equations are
solved numerically. In the original Vlasov equation, phase mixing may lead to
an oscillatory behavior and sharp gradients of the distribution function in
velocity space, which is problematic in simulations where it can lead to
unphysical electric fields and instabilities and to the recurrence effect where
parts of the initial condition recur in the simulation. The particle
distribution function is in general smoother in the Fourier transformed
velocity space, which is desirable for the numerical approximations. By
designing outflow boundary conditions in the Fourier transformed velocity
space, the highest oscillating terms are allowed to propagate out through the
boundary and are removed from the calculations, thereby strongly reducing the
numerical recurrence effect. The outflow boundary conditions in higher
dimensions including electromagnetic effects are discussed. The Fourier
transform method is also suitable to solve the Fourier transformed Wigner
equation, which is the quantum mechanical analogue of the Vlasov equation for
classical particles.Comment: 41 pages, 19 figures. To be published in Transport Theory and
Statistical Physics. Proceedings of the VLASOVIA 2009 Workshop, CIRM, Luminy,
Marseilles, France, 31 August - 4 September 200
Vlasov equation and collisionless hydrodynamics adapted to curved spacetime
The modification of the Vlasov equation, in its standard form describing a
charged particle distribution in the six-dimensional phase space, is derived
explicitly within a formal Hamiltonian approach for arbitrarily curved
spacetime. The equation accounts simultaneously for the Lorentz force and the
effects of general relativity, with the latter appearing as the gravity force
and an additional force due to the extrinsic curvature of spatial
hypersurfaces. For an arbitrary spatial metric, the equations of collisionless
hydrodynamics are also obtained in the usual three-vector form
Constraining the neutrino magnetic moment with anti-neutrinos from the Sun
We discuss the impact of different solar neutrino data on the
spin-flavor-precession (SFP) mechanism of neutrino conversion. We find that,
although detailed solar rates and spectra allow the SFP solution as a
sub-leading effect, the recent KamLAND constraint on the solar antineutrino
flux places stronger constraints to this mechanism. Moreover, we show that for
the case of random magnetic fields inside the Sun, one obtains a more stringent
constraint on the neutrino magnetic moment down to the level of \mu_\nu \lsim
few \times 10^{-12}\mu_B, similar to bounds obtained from star cooling.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Final version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Black hole radiation with high frequency dispersion
We consider one model of a black hole radiation, in which the equation of
motion of a matter field is modified to cut off high frequency modes. The
spectrum in the model has already been analytically derived in low frequency
range, which has resulted in the Planckian distributin of the Hawking
temperature. On the other hand, it has been numerically shown that its spectrum
deviates from the thermal one in high frequency range. In this paper, we
analytically derive the form of the deviation in the high frequency range. Our
result can qualitatively explain the nature of the numerically calculated
spectrum. The origin of the deviation is clarified by a simple discussion.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.
Adiabatic nonlinear waves with trapped particles: II. Wave dispersion
A general nonlinear dispersion relation is derived in a nondifferential form
for an adiabatic sinusoidal Langmuir wave in collisionless plasma, allowing for
an arbitrary distribution of trapped electrons. The linear dielectric function
is generalized, and the nonlinear kinetic frequency shift is
found analytically as a function of the wave amplitude . Smooth
distributions yield , as usual. However,
beam-like distributions of trapped electrons result in different power laws, or
even a logarithmic nonlinearity, which are derived as asymptotic limits of the
same dispersion relation. Such beams are formed whenever the phase velocity
changes, because the trapped distribution is in autoresonance and thus evolves
differently from the passing distribution. Hence, even adiabatic is generally nonlocal.Comment: submitted together with Papers I and II
The alpha-effect and current helicity for fast sheared rotators
We explore the alpha-effect and the small-scale current helicity, for the
case of weakly compressible magnetically driven turbulence that is subjected to
the differential rotation. No restriction is applied to the amplitude of
angular velocity, i.e., the derivations presented are valid for an arbitrary
Coriolis number, though the differential rotation itself is assumed to be weak.
The expressions obtained are used to explore the possible distributions of
alpha-effect and current helicity in convection zones (CZ) of the solar-type
stars. The implications of the obtained results to the mean-field dynamo models
are discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure
The asymmetry of sunspot cycles and Waldmeier relations as due to nonlinear surface-shear shaped dynamo
The paper presents a study of a solar dynamo model operating in the bulk of
the convection zone with the toroidal magnetic field flux concentrated in the
subsurface rotational shear layer. We explore how this type of dynamo may
depend on spatial variations of turbulent parameters and on the differential
rotation near the surface. The mean-field dynamo model takes into account the
evolution of magnetic helicity and describes its nonlinear feedback on the
generation of large-scale magnetic field by the -effect. We compare the
magnetic cycle characteristics predicted by the model, including the cycle
asymmetry (associated with the growth and decay times) and the duration -
amplitude relation (Waldmeier's effects), with the observed sunspot cycle
properties. We show that the model qualitatively reproduces the basic
properties of the solar cycles.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures(Second revision, figures updates
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