Nonlinear Evolution of the Whistler Heat Flux Instability

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-10-2019

Abstract

We use the one-dimensional TRISTAN-MP particle-in-cell code to model the nonlinear evolution of the whistler heat flux instability (WHFI) that was proposed by Gary et al. and Gary & Li to regulate the electron heat flux in the solar wind and astrophysical plasmas. The simulations are initialized with electron velocity distribution functions typical for the solar wind. We perform a set of simulations at various initial values of the electron heat flux and β e. The simulations show that parallel whistler waves produced by the WHFI saturate at amplitudes consistent with the spacecraft measurements. The simulations also reproduce the correlations of the saturated whistler wave amplitude with the electron heat flux and β e revealed in the spacecraft measurements. The major result is that parallel whistler waves produced by the WHFI do not significantly suppress the electron heat flux. The presented simulations indicate that coherent parallel whistler waves observed in the solar wind are unlikely to regulate the heat flux of solar wind electrons.

Identifier

85073065982 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab3290

e-ISSN

15384357

ISSN

0004637X

Issue

2

Volume

882

Grant

1502923

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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