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- Title
Simultaneous macroscale and microscale wave–ion interaction in near-earth space plasmas.
- Authors
Liu, Z.-Y.; Zong, Q.-G.; Rankin, R.; Zhang, H.; Wang, Y. F.; Zhou, X.-Z.; Fu, S.-Y.; Yue, C.; Zhu, X.-Y.; Pollock, C. J.; Fuselier, S. A.; Le, G.
- Abstract
Identifying how energy transfer proceeds from macroscales down to microscales in collisionless plasmas is at the forefront of astrophysics and space physics. It provides information on the evolution of involved plasma systems and the generation of high-energy particles in the universe. Here we report two cross-scale energy-transfer events observed by NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft in Earth's magnetosphere. In these events, hot ions simultaneously undergo interactions with macroscale (~ 10 5 km) ultra-low-frequency waves and microscale (~ 10 3 km) electromagnetic-ion-cyclotron (EMIC) waves. The cross-scale interactions cause energy to directly transfer from macroscales to microscales, and finally dissipate at microscales via EMIC-wave-induced ion energization. The direct measurements of the energy transfer rate in the second event confirm the efficiency of this cross-scale transfer process, whose timescale is estimated to be roughly ten EMIC-wave periods about (1 min). Therefore, these observations experimentally demonstrate that simultaneous macroscale and microscale wave-ion interactions provide an efficient mechanism for cross-scale energy transfer and plasma energization in astrophysical and space plasmas. Cross-scale energy transfers in collisionless plasmas help understanding involved mechanisms. Here, the authors show simultaneous macro- and micro-scale wave-ion interactions provide an efficient mechanism for cross-scale energy transfer and plasma energization in astrophysical and space plasmas.
- Subjects
UNITED States. National Aeronautics &; Space Administration; SPACE plasmas; PLASMA astrophysics; COLLISIONLESS plasmas; PLASMA production; ASTROPHYSICS; ENERGY transfer
- Publication
Nature Communications, 2022, Vol 13, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2041-1723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41467-022-33298-6