Bulletin of the American Physical Society
63rd Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics
Volume 66, Number 13
Monday–Friday, November 8–12, 2021; Pittsburgh, PA
Session BO06: Astrophysical Turbulence and Dynamos
9:30 AM–12:30 PM,
Monday, November 8, 2021
Room: Rooms 310-311
Chair: Archie Bott, Princeton University
Abstract: BO06.00002 : Collisions of relativistic Alfvén waves as sources of weak turbulence, current sheets, and efficient mode conversion*
9:42 AM–9:54 AM
Presenter:
Jens F Mahlmann
(Princeton University)
Authors:
Jens F Mahlmann
(Princeton University)
Bart Ripperda
(Princeton University/Flatiron Institute)
Alexander Chernoglazov
(University of New Hampshire)
Jason M TenBarge
(Princeton University)
Elias R Most
(Princeton University)
James L Juno
(The University of Iowa)
Yajie Yuan
(Simons Foundation)
Alexander A Philippov
(Simons Foundation)
Amitava Bhattacharjee
(Princeton University)
A large reservoir of magnetic energy is available in the magnetospheres of compact astrophysical objects, such that plasma can be heated significantly even in the weak turbulence regime. We show that an EB,⊥(k⊥) ∼ [k⊥]-2 energy spectrum develops as a result of the weak turbulence cascade in Alfvén wave interactions. The plasma turbulence ubiquitously generates current sheets, locations where magnetic energy dissipates. These current sheets form due to the compression of elongated eddies, driven by the shear that growing higher-order modes induce. Current layers undergo a thinning process until they eventually break up into small-scale turbulent structures. The interaction of localized relativistic Alfvén waves produces both Alfvén waves and fast waves. It efficiently mediates the conversion and dissipation of electromagnetic energy in astrophysical systems.
*We acknowledge support by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. AST-1909458.
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