NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Nonlinear Landau damping and Alfven wave dissipationNonlinear Landau damping has been often suggested to be the cause of the dissipation of Alfven waves in the solar wind as well as the mechanism for ion heating and selective preacceleration in solar flares. We discuss the viability of these processes in light of our theoretical and numerical results. We present one-dimensional hybrid plasma simulations of the nonlinear Landau damping of parallel Alfven waves. In this scenario, two Alfven waves nonresonantly combine to create second-order magnetic field pressure gradients, which then drive density fluctuations, which in turn drive a second-order longitudinal electric field. Under certain conditions, this electric field strongly interacts with the ambient ions via the Landau resonance which leads to a rapid dissipation of the Alfven wave energy. While there is a net flux of energy from the waves to the ions, one of the Alfven waves will grow if both have the same polarization. We compare damping and growth rates from plasma simulations with those predicted by Lee and Volk (1973), and also discuss the evolution of the ambient ion distribution. We then consider this nonlinear interaction in the presence of a spectrum of Alfven waves, and discuss the spectrum's influence on the growth or damping of a single wave. We also discuss the implications for wave dissipation and ion heating in the solar wind.
Document ID
19960021414
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Vinas, Adolfo F.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Miller, James A.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
June 30, 1995
Subject Category
Solar Physics
Accession Number
96N24810
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available