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Inverse cascade and magnetic vortices in kinetic Alfvén-wave turbulence

Part of: Focus on Plasma Astrophysics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2021

G. Miloshevich Open the ORCID record for G. Miloshevich [Opens in a new window] ,
D. Laveder ,
T. Passot  and
P. L. Sulem Open the ORCID record for P. L. Sulem [Opens in a new window]
G. Miloshevich*
Affiliation:
Université Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire J. L. Lagrange, Boulevard de l'Observatoire, CS 34229, 06304Nice CEDEX 4, France Ècole Normale Supérieure de Lyon Laboratoire de Physique, 46, allée d'Italie, F-69364, Lyon cedex 07, France
D. Laveder
Affiliation:
Université Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire J. L. Lagrange, Boulevard de l'Observatoire, CS 34229, 06304Nice CEDEX 4, France
T. Passot
Affiliation:
Université Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire J. L. Lagrange, Boulevard de l'Observatoire, CS 34229, 06304Nice CEDEX 4, France
P. L. Sulem
Affiliation:
Université Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire J. L. Lagrange, Boulevard de l'Observatoire, CS 34229, 06304Nice CEDEX 4, France
*
†Email address for correspondence: george.miloshevich@ens-lyon.fr
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Abstract

A Hamiltonian two-field gyrofluid model for kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) in a magnetized electron–proton plasma, retaining ion finite-Larmor-radius corrections and parallel magnetic field fluctuations, is used to study the inverse cascades that develop when turbulence is randomly driven at sub-ion scales. In the directions perpendicular to the ambient field, the dynamics of the cascade turns out to be non-local and the ratio $\chi _f$ of the wave period to the characteristic nonlinear time at the driving scale affects some of its properties. For example, at small values of $\chi _f$, parametric decay instability of the modes driven by the forcing can develop, enhancing for a while inverse transfers. The balanced state, obtained at early time when the two counter-propagating waves are equally driven, also becomes unstable at small $\chi _f$, leading to an inverse cascade. For $\beta _e$ smaller than a few units, the cascade slows down when reaching the low-dispersion spectral range. For higher $\beta _e$, the ratio of the KAW to the Alfvén frequencies displays a local minimum. At the corresponding transverse wavenumber, a condensate is formed, and the cascade towards larger scales is then inhibited. Depending on the parameters, a parallel inverse cascade can develop, enhancing the elongation of the ion-scale magnetic vortices that generically form.

Keywords

astrophysical plasmasplasma wavesplasma simulation
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 87 , Issue 2 , April 2021 , 905870201
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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