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Wave-particle energy exchange directly observed in a kinetic Alfvén-branch wave

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel J. Gershman

    (University of Maryland
    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Adolfo F-Viñas

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • John C. Dorelli

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Scott A. Boardsen

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute, University of Maryland)

  • Levon A. Avanov

    (University of Maryland
    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Paul M. Bellan

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Steven J. Schwartz

    (Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London)

  • Benoit Lavraud

    (Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse
    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5277)

  • Victoria N. Coffey

    (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center)

  • Michael O. Chandler

    (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center)

  • Yoshifumi Saito

    (JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science)

  • William R. Paterson

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Stephen A. Fuselier

    (Southwest Research Institute)

  • Robert E. Ergun

    (Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado)

  • Robert J. Strangeway

    (Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California)

  • Christopher T. Russell

    (Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California)

  • Barbara L. Giles

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Craig J. Pollock

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Roy B. Torbert

    (University of New Hampshire
    Southwest Research Institute Durham)

  • James L. Burch

    (Southwest Research Institute)

Abstract

Alfvén waves are fundamental plasma wave modes that permeate the universe. At small kinetic scales, they provide a critical mechanism for the transfer of energy between electromagnetic fields and charged particles. These waves are important not only in planetary magnetospheres, heliospheres and astrophysical systems but also in laboratory plasma experiments and fusion reactors. Through measurement of charged particles and electromagnetic fields with NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, we utilize Earth’s magnetosphere as a plasma physics laboratory. Here we confirm the conservative energy exchange between the electromagnetic field fluctuations and the charged particles that comprise an undamped kinetic Alfvén wave. Electrons confined between adjacent wave peaks may have contributed to saturation of damping effects via nonlinear particle trapping. The investigation of these detailed wave dynamics has been unexplored territory in experimental plasma physics and is only recently enabled by high-resolution MMS observations.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel J. Gershman & Adolfo F-Viñas & John C. Dorelli & Scott A. Boardsen & Levon A. Avanov & Paul M. Bellan & Steven J. Schwartz & Benoit Lavraud & Victoria N. Coffey & Michael O. Chandler & Yoshifum, 2017. "Wave-particle energy exchange directly observed in a kinetic Alfvén-branch wave," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms14719
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14719
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    Cited by:

    1. Z.-Y. Liu & Q.-G. Zong & R. Rankin & H. Zhang & Y.-X. Hao & J.-S. He & S.-Y. Fu & H.-H. Wu & C. Yue & C. J. Pollock & G. Le, 2023. "Particle-sounding of the spatial structure of kinetic Alfvén waves," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.

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