Nonlinear growth of firehose and mirror fluctuations in astrophysical plasmas

A. A. Schekochihin; S. C. Cowley; R. M. Kulsrud; M. S. Rosin; T. Heinemann

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.081301

Nonlinear growth of firehose and mirror fluctuations in astrophysical plasmas

A. A. Schekochihin, S. C. Cowley, R. M. Kulsrud, M. S. Rosin, T. Heinemann

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

83 Scopus citations

Abstract

In turbulent high-beta astrophysical plasmas (exemplified by the galaxy cluster plasmas), pressure-anisotropy-driven firehose and mirror fluctuations grow nonlinearly to large amplitudes, ÎB/Bâ1, on a time scale comparable to the turnover time of the turbulent motions. The principle of their nonlinear evolution is to generate secularly growing small-scale magnetic fluctuations that on average cancel the temporal change in the large-scale magnetic field responsible for the pressure anisotropies. The presence of small-scale magnetic fluctuations may dramatically affect the transport properties and, thereby, the large-scale dynamics of the high-beta astrophysical plasmas.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	081301
Journal	Physical review letters
Volume	100
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.081301
State	Published - Feb 29 2008
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Physics and Astronomy

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.081301

Cite this

@article{e333c9e001884cd88898952dc73079a7,

title = "Nonlinear growth of firehose and mirror fluctuations in astrophysical plasmas",

abstract = "In turbulent high-beta astrophysical plasmas (exemplified by the galaxy cluster plasmas), pressure-anisotropy-driven firehose and mirror fluctuations grow nonlinearly to large amplitudes, {\^I}B/B{\^a}1, on a time scale comparable to the turnover time of the turbulent motions. The principle of their nonlinear evolution is to generate secularly growing small-scale magnetic fluctuations that on average cancel the temporal change in the large-scale magnetic field responsible for the pressure anisotropies. The presence of small-scale magnetic fluctuations may dramatically affect the transport properties and, thereby, the large-scale dynamics of the high-beta astrophysical plasmas.",

author = "Schekochihin, {A. A.} and Cowley, {S. C.} and Kulsrud, {R. M.} and Rosin, {M. S.} and T. Heinemann",

year = "2008",

month = feb,

day = "29",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.081301",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "100",

journal = "Physical review letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nonlinear growth of firehose and mirror fluctuations in astrophysical plasmas

AU - Schekochihin, A. A.

AU - Cowley, S. C.

AU - Kulsrud, R. M.

AU - Rosin, M. S.

AU - Heinemann, T.

PY - 2008/2/29

Y1 - 2008/2/29

N2 - In turbulent high-beta astrophysical plasmas (exemplified by the galaxy cluster plasmas), pressure-anisotropy-driven firehose and mirror fluctuations grow nonlinearly to large amplitudes, ÎB/Bâ1, on a time scale comparable to the turnover time of the turbulent motions. The principle of their nonlinear evolution is to generate secularly growing small-scale magnetic fluctuations that on average cancel the temporal change in the large-scale magnetic field responsible for the pressure anisotropies. The presence of small-scale magnetic fluctuations may dramatically affect the transport properties and, thereby, the large-scale dynamics of the high-beta astrophysical plasmas.

AB - In turbulent high-beta astrophysical plasmas (exemplified by the galaxy cluster plasmas), pressure-anisotropy-driven firehose and mirror fluctuations grow nonlinearly to large amplitudes, ÎB/Bâ1, on a time scale comparable to the turnover time of the turbulent motions. The principle of their nonlinear evolution is to generate secularly growing small-scale magnetic fluctuations that on average cancel the temporal change in the large-scale magnetic field responsible for the pressure anisotropies. The presence of small-scale magnetic fluctuations may dramatically affect the transport properties and, thereby, the large-scale dynamics of the high-beta astrophysical plasmas.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=40949128239&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=40949128239&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.081301

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.081301

M3 - Article

C2 - 18352614

AN - SCOPUS:40949128239

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 100

JO - Physical review letters

JF - Physical review letters

IS - 8

M1 - 081301

ER -

Nonlinear growth of firehose and mirror fluctuations in astrophysical plasmas

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this