Wave induced energetic particle generation and space plasma modeling |
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Authors: | Leubner Manfred P |
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Institution: | (1) Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria and Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria |
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Abstract: | An increasing number of high-resolution spacecraft observations provide access to details of energetic electron and ion velocity-space
distribution structures. Since resonant wave-particle interaction processes depend considerably on the distribution function
details, space plasma modeling is of particular interest for studies of a variety of plasma environments as planetary magnetospheres,
the interplanetary medium or solar flares. After summarizing the most popular particle acceleration processes we focus on
wave-powered energization mechanisms induced by Landau interaction and demonstrate from a time-evolutionary scenario that
power-law distributions, highly favored by observations in recent years, are generated resonantly by an Alfvén wave spectrum
and possibly saturate. This process is further stimulated in non-uniform magnetic field configurations where multiple wave
packets at different phase velocities provide the energy source for a continuous acceleration process. Moreover, in this conjunction
we demonstrate that in particular κ-distributions are a consequence of a generalized entropy concept, favored by nonextensive
statistics, which provides the missing link for power-law plasma models from fundamental physics. With regard to in situ space
observations examples are provided illuminating that for non-thermal plasma characteristics the particular structure of the
velocity-space distribution dominates as regulating mechanism for the wave-particle interaction process over effects related
to changes in space plasma parameters.
This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | astrophysical plasmas nonextensive entropy non-thermal distributions wave-particle interaction |
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