In situ measurement of curvature of magnetic field in turbulent space plasmas: A statistical study

Bandyopadhyay，Riddhi1,2; Yang，Yan3,4; Matthaeus，William H.1,2; Chasapis，Alexandros5; Parashar，Tulasi N.1,2,11; Russell，Christopher T.6; Strangeway，Robert J.6; Torbert，Roy B.7; Giles，Barbara L.8; Gershman，Daniel J.8; Pollock，Craig J.9; Moore，Thomas E.8; Burch，James L.10

2020-04-10

10.3847/2041-8213/ab846e

Astrophysical Journal Letters   影响因子和分区

2041-8205

2041-8213

Using in situ data, accumulated in the turbulent magnetosheath by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, we report a statistical study of magnetic field curvature and discuss its role in the turbulent space plasmas. Consistent with previous simulation results, the probability distribution function of the curvature is shown to have distinct power-law tails for both high and low value limits. We find that the magnetic-field-line curvature is intermittently distributed in space. High curvature values reside near weak magnetic-field regions, while low curvature values are correlated with small magnitude of the force acting normal to the field lines. A simple statistical treatment provides an explanation for the observed curvature distribution. This novel statistical characterization of magnetic curvature in space plasma provides a starting point for assessing, in a turbulence context, the applicability and impact of particle energization processes, such as curvature drift, that rely on this fundamental quantity.

SCI

英语

NI期刊 ; NI论文

其他

WOS:000528034600001

2-s2.0-85085107949

Scopus

1.Department of Physics and Astronomy,University of Delaware,Newark,19716,United States
2.Bartol Research Institute,University of Delaware,Newark,19716,United States
3.Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen, Guangdong,518055,China
4.University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei, Anhui,230026,China
5.Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics,University of Colorado Boulder,Boulder,United States
6.University of California,Los Angeles,90095-1567,United States
7.University of New Hampshire,Durham,03824,United States
8.NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt,20771,United States
9.Denali Scientific,Fairbanks,99709,United States
10.Southwest Research Institute,San Antonio,78238-5166,United States
11.School of Chemical and Physical Sciences,Victoria University of Wellington,Kelburn, Wellington,6012,New Zealand

Bandyopadhyay，Riddhi,Yang，Yan,Matthaeus，William H.,et al. In situ measurement of curvature of magnetic field in turbulent space plasmas: A statistical study[J]. Astrophysical Journal Letters,2020,893(1).

Bandyopadhyay，Riddhi.,Yang，Yan.,Matthaeus，William H..,Chasapis，Alexandros.,Parashar，Tulasi N..,...&Burch，James L..(2020).In situ measurement of curvature of magnetic field in turbulent space plasmas: A statistical study.Astrophysical Journal Letters,893(1).

Bandyopadhyay，Riddhi,et al."In situ measurement of curvature of magnetic field in turbulent space plasmas: A statistical study".Astrophysical Journal Letters 893.1(2020).