Abstract
Abstract Resonant ion heating by high-frequency Alfvén waves has long been believed to be the primary dissipation mechanism for solar coronal heating, and these high-frequency Alfvén waves are considered to be generated via cascade from low-frequency Alfvén waves. In this study, we report an unusual harmonic Alfvén event from in situ observations by the Van Allen Probes in the magnetosphere, having an environment similar to that in the solar corona. The harmonic Alfvén waves, which propagate almost along the wave vector of the fundamental waves, are considered to be generated due to the interaction between quasi-parallel Alfvén waves and plasma density fluctuations with almost identical frequency. These high-frequency harmonic Alfvén waves can then cyclotron resonantly heat the heavy ions. Our observations provide an important insight into solar corona heating by Alfvén waves.
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