Wavevector spectral signature of decay instability in space plasmas

Identification of a large-amplitude Alfvén wave decaying into a pair of ion-acoustic and daughter Alfvén waves is one of the major goals in the observational studies of space plasma nonlinearity. In this study, the decay instability is analytically evaluated in the 2-D wavenumber domain spanning the parallel and perpendicular directions to the mean magnetic field. The growth-rate determination of the density perturbations is based on the Hall MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) wave–wave coupling theory for circularly polarized Alfvén waves. The diagrams of the growth rates versus the wavenumber and propagation angle derived in analytical studies are replaced by 2-D wavenumber distributions and compared with the corresponding wavevector spectrum of density and magnetic field fluctuations. The actual study reveals a perpendicular spectral pattern consistent with the result of a previous study based on 3-D hybrid numerical simulations. The wavevector signature of the decay instability observed in the two-dimensional wavenumber domain ceases at values of plasma beta larger than β=0.1. Growth-rate maps serve as a useful tool for predictions of the wavevector spectrum of density or magnetic field fluctuations in various scenarios for the wave–wave coupling processes developing at different stages in space plasma turbulence

Concerning the detection of electromagnetic knot structures in space plasmas using the wave telescope technique

The wave telescope technique is broadly established in the analysis of spacecraft data and serves as a bridge between local measurements and the global picture of spatial structures. The technique is originally based on plane waves and has been extended to spherical waves, phase shifted waves as well as planetary magnetic field representation. The goal of the present study is the extension of the wave telescope technique using electromagnetic knot structures as a basis. As the knots are an exact solution of Maxwell's equations they open the door for a new modeling and interpretation of magnetospheric structures, such as plasmoids.</p

Parametric decay of oblique Alfv\'en waves in two-dimensional hybrid simulations

Certain types of plasma waves are known to become parametrically unstable under specific plasma conditions, in which the pump wave will decay into several daughter waves with different wavenumbers and frequencies. In the past, the related plasma instabilities have been treated analytically for various parameter regimes and by use of various numerical methods, yet the oblique propagation with respect to the background magnetic field has rarely been dealt with in two dimensions, mainly because of the high computational demand. Here we present a hybrid-simulation study of the parametric decay of a moderately oblique Alfv\'en wave having elliptical polarization. It is found that such a compressive wave can decay into waves with higher and lower wavenumbers than the pump.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Multi-channel coupling of decay instability in three-dimensional low-beta plasma

Three-dimensional hybrid simulations have been carried out to verify the hypothesis of simultaneous multichannel decay of a large-amplitude Alfvén wave in a lowbeta plasma, e.g., in the shock-upstream region or the solar corona. Obliquely propagating daughter modes are excited along the perpendicular direction to the mean magnetic field at the same parallel wavenumbers and frequencies as the daughter modes driven by the field-aligned decay. We find that the transversal spectrum of waves is controlled by the multi-channel coupling of the decay process in low-beta plasmas and originates in the dispersion state of the shear Alfvén wave

Hybrid simulation of Titan's interaction with the supersonic solar wind during Cassini's T96 flyby

By applying a hybrid (kinetic ions and fluid electrons) simulation code, we study the plasma environment of Saturn's largest moon Titan during Cassini's T96 flyby on 1 December 2013. The T96 encounter marks the only observed event of the entire Cassini mission where Titan was located in the supersonic solar wind in front of Saturn's bow shock. Our simulations can quantitatively reproduce the key features of Cassini magnetic field and electron density observations during this encounter. We demonstrate that the large-scale features of Titan's induced magnetosphere during T96 can be described in terms of a steady state interaction with a high-pressure solar wind flow. About 40 min before the encounter, Cassini observed a rotation of the incident solar wind magnetic field by almost 90°. We provide strong evidence that this rotation left a bundle of fossilized magnetic field lines in Titan's ionosphere that was subsequently detected by the spacecraft.Fil: Feyerabend, Moritz. Georgia Institute Of Techology; Estados UnidosFil: Simon, Sven. Georgia Institute Of Techology; Estados UnidosFil: Neubauer, Fritz M.. Universitat Zu Köln; AlemaniaFil: Motschmann, Uwe. Deutsches Zentrum Fur Luft- Und Raumfahrt; Alemania. Technische Universitat Braunschweig; AlemaniaFil: Bertucci, Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Edberg, Niklas J. T.. Instiutet For Rymdfysik; SueciaFil: Hospodarsky, George B.. University Of Iowa; Estados UnidosFil: Kurth, William S.. University Of Iowa; Estados Unido

Geophysical and atmospheric evolution of habitable planets

The evolution of Earth-like habitable planets is a complex process that depends on the geodynamical and geophysical environments. In particular, it is necessary that plate tectonics remain active over billions of years. These geophysically active environments are strongly coupled to a planet's host star parameters, such as mass, luminosity and activity, orbit location of the habitable zone, and the planet's initial water inventory. Depending on the host star's radiation and particle flux evolution, the composition in the thermosphere, and the availability of an active magnetic dynamo, the atmospheres of Earth-like planets within their habitable zones are differently affected due to thermal and nonthermal escape processes. For some planets, strong atmospheric escape could even effect the stability of the atmosphere

Interaction of the solar wind with weak obstacles: Hybrid simulations for weakly active comets and for Mars

Obstacles in the solar wind are weak when their extension is small or comparable with respect to the characteristic ion gyroradii. Then the interaction gets kinetic features and hybrid models are an adequate description. A hybrid code operating on a curvilinear 3D grid is discussed and it is applied to the solar wind interaction with weak obstacles. As examples small comets and planet Mars are studied. The cometary case is adapted to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (CG) which is the target of the Rosetta mission. The hybrid simulations follow the evolution of the plasma environment between 3.5AU and 1.75AU heliocentric distance. Beyond 3.5AU CG is extremely weak and the cometary ions behave mainly as test particles. For decreasing heliocentric distances the cometary ion production goes up and thus the re-action of the cometary plasma to the solar wind becomes significant. Plasma structures like cometopause, bow shock and precursors of a magnetic cavity appear. The cometopause separates cometary plasma and solar wind plasma in a pronounced way. There is a typical asymmetry in the interaction region including the tail. The largely constant distance of Mars generates much less evolution in the plasma structures. However, partly the structures at Mars are well comparable to those of CG. The cometopause is replaced by the ion composition boundary which separates Martian plasma and solar wind plasma. The bow shock and the asymmetry in the interaction region are similar to the cometary case