Electron Thermalization in the Solar Wind and Planetary Plasma Boundaries

The work carried out under this contract attempts a better understanding of whistler wave generation and associated scattering of electrons in the solar wind. This task is accomplished through simulations using a particle-in-cell code and a Vlasov code. In addition, the work is supported by the utilization of a linear kinetic dispersion solver. Previously, we have concentrated on gaining a better understanding of the linear mode properties, and have tested the simulation codes within a known parameter regime. We are now in a new phase in which we implement, execute, and analyze production simulations. This phase is projected to last over several reporting periods, with this being the second cycle. In addition, we have started to research to what extent the evolution of the pertinent instabilities is two-dimensional. We are also continuing our work on the visualization aspects of the simulation results, and on a code version that runs on single-user Alpha-processor based workstations.