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- SH33F-2569: Fully Kinetic Simulation of Alfvénic Turbulence in the Expanding Solar Wind (highlighted)
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Board 2569‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
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Maximilien Péters de Bonhome, KU Leuven (First Author, Presenting Author)
Fabio Bacchini, KU Leuven
Viviane Pierrard, IASB-BIRA
As the solar wind travels outward from the Sun, it expands and cools unevenly, with a stronger cooling across the magnetic field rather than along it. At the same time, turbulent motions in the plasma, starting at large scales, break down into smaller-scale fluctuations that can heat particles and create high-energy 'tails' in their velocity distributions. How this turbulent heating interacts with the uneven cooling and related plasma instabilities is not well understood. In this study, we use advanced computer simulations to model these processes in detail. Our simulations are fully kinetic, meaning they track the individual motions of protons and electrons, and are set in an 'expanding box' that mimics the outward flow of the solar wind. We introduce turbulence by applying forces similar to Alfvén waves, which are common in space plasmas. By comparing runs with and without turbulence, we aim to isolate its effects. Although the simulations are still ongoing, we expect that turbulence plays a key role in shaping the electron velocity distribution. This work will help connect real solar wind measurements with theoretical models by capturing the complex interactions between expansion, turbulence, and self-generated plasma waves.
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