Multifractal scaling and intermittency in hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell simulations of plasma turbulence

Abstract:

By employing Hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell simulations in 2D-3V phase space configuration (2D in physical space and 3D in velocity space) of plasma turbulence, the statistical properties of the energy cascade at kinetic scales have been investigated. High-order moments of the magnetic field fluctuations have been inspected in order to quantify the intermittency phenomenon. At scales l larger than the ion skin depth d<inf>i</inf>, fluctuations exhibit anomalous scaling, suggesting the presence of a multifractal intermittent turbulent cascade. For l<di, fluctuations show monoscaling, indicating Gaussian statistics. This scenario is consistent with the statistics of the dissipation fields J·E and J², suggesting that the processes of dissipation, intended as a conversion of energy from electromagnetic fluctuations to electron Ohmic heating and non-thermal proton effects, occur non-homogeneously in space.

Año de publicación:

2016

Keywords:

Fuente:

scopus