Particle in cell simulations of fast magnetosonic wave turbulence in the ion cyclotron frequency range

Abstract

Fully electromagnetic particle in cell simulations of nonlinear waves propagation and interaction are performed in two-dimensional plane geometry in magnetized plasma in ion cyclotron frequency range. A spectrum of fast magnetosonic wave modes with wave numbers parallel and perpendicular to the uniform equilibrium magnetic field is launched into plasma and the nonlinear dynamics of these waves is analyzed. Results show that the wave magnetic energy spectrum cascades to smaller scales. In the low frequency in the magnetohydrodynamic regime, the cascade is basically isotropic. Once entering the high frequency kinetic regime the cascade exhibits strong anisotropy, it extends to much smaller scales in direction perpendicular to the equilibrium magnetic field. The shape of the cascade is established after a few ion cyclotron periods and most of the energy in the cascade stays in the fast wave oscillations. Collisionless damping on electrons is the main dissipation channel in these results.