Non-modal Plasma Stability in the Solar Wind

Details Non-modal Plasma Stability in the Solar Wind Non-modal Plasma Stability in the Solar Wind

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmsh53a1290c&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #SH53A-1290

Physics

Plasma Physics

[7827] Space Plasma Physics / Kinetic And Mhd Theory, [7829] Space Plasma Physics / Kinetic Waves And Instabilities, [7833] Space Plasma Physics / Mathematical And Numerical Techniques, [7857] Space Plasma Physics / Stochastic Phenomena

Scientific paper

We investigate the linear stability of an anisotropic, collisionless, bi-Maxwellian plasma in a homogeneous magnetic field. The approach follows the line of non-modal linear theory, thus allowing the study of transient phenomena, and not focusing exclusively on the time-asymptotic behaviour. A Landau fluid model is used, which includes linear Landau damping and finite Larmor radius corrections. The non-modal approach shows that a relatively high level of short wavelength magnetic fluctuations is possible even when the plasma is far from the threshold of kinetic linear instabilities, i.e. in a linearly stable condition. This is due to the well-known fact that small perturbations can undergo a transient growth, being amplified by large factors, before decaying, even in stable systems. Transient growth is more accentuated for smaller scales and higher plasma beta. We discuss the relevance of a non-modal approach to interpreting satellite observations, where plasmas are very often observed in non-steady state, and a possible re-thinking of the meaning of marginal stability. We further show and discuss ongoing work, aimed at including stochastic linear perturbations in the framework of plasma linear stability. This refinememt will bring closer the theoretical predictions from linear stability theory with observational data in solar wind.

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