Charged-particle motion in multidimensional magnetic-field turbulence

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (108) References (11) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Charged-Particle Motion in Multidimensional Magnetic Field Turbulence Giacalone, J. ; Jokipii, J. R. Abstract We present a new analysis of the fundamental physics of charged-particle motion in a turbulent magnetic field using a numerical simulation. The magnetic field fluctuations are taken to be static and to have a power spectrum which is Kolmogorov. The charged particles are treated as test particles. It is shown that when the field turbulence is independent of one coordinate (i.e., k lies in a plane), the motion of these particles across the magnetic field is essentially zero, as required by theory. Consequently, the only motion across the average magnetic field direction that is allowed is that due to field-line random walk. On the other hand, when a fully three-dimensional realization of the turbulence is considered, the particles readily cross the field. Transport coefficients both along and across the ambient magnetic field are computed. This scheme provides a direct computation of the Fokker-Planck coefficients based on the motions of individual particles, and allows for comparison with analytic theory. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: August 1994 DOI: 10.1086/187457 Bibcode: 1994ApJ...430L.137G Keywords: Charged Particles; Fokker-Planck Equation; Kolmogorov Theory; Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence; Motion Simulation; Analytic Functions; Flow Distribution; Particle Trajectories; Three Dimensional Models; Plasma Physics; DIFFUSION; ISM: COSMIC RAYS; MAGNETIC FIELDS; TURBULENCE full text sources ADS |