Collisionless Heat Flux Regulation via the Electron Firehose Instability in the Presence of a Core and Suprathermal Population in the Expanding Solar Wind

Innocenti, Maria Elena and Boella, Elisabetta and Tenerani, Anna and Velli, Marco (2020) Collisionless Heat Flux Regulation via the Electron Firehose Instability in the Presence of a Core and Suprathermal Population in the Expanding Solar Wind. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 898 (2): L41. ISSN 2041-8205

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Abstract

The evolution of the electron heat flux in the solar wind is regulated by the interplay between several effects: solar wind expansion, which can potentially drive velocity–space instabilities, turbulence, wave–particle interactions, and, possibly, collisions. Here we address the respective role played by the solar wind expansion and the electron firehose instability (EFI), developing in the presence of multiple electron populations, in regulating the heat flux. We carry out fully kinetic, expanding box model simulations and separately analyze the enthalpy, bulk, and velocity distribution function skewness contributions for each of the electron species. We observe that the key factor determining electron energy flux evolution is the reduction of the drift velocity of the electron populations in the rest frame of the solar wind. In our simulations, redistribution of the electron thermal energy from the parallel to the perpendicular direction after the onset of the EFI is observed. However, this process seems to impact energy flux evolution only minimally. Hence, reduction of the electron species drift velocity in the solar wind frame appears to directly correlate with efficiency for heat flux instabilities.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Information:
This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication/published in Astrophysical Journal Letters. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/aba591
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3100/3103
Subjects:
?? solar windspace plasmasastronomy and astrophysicsspace and planetary science ??
ID Code:
146590
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
17 Aug 2020 14:00
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
27 Aug 2024 00:05