Implications of a Non-modal Linear Theory for the Marginal Stability State and the Dissipation of Fluctuations in the Solar Wind
Abstract
A magnetized plasma with anisotropic particle distributions may be unstable to a number of different kinetic instabilities. The solar wind is often observed in a state which is close to that implying instability, i.e., in a marginal stability state. Normal-mode linear theory predicts that fluctuations in a stable plasma damp exponentially. The non-modal approach for a linearized system differs from a normal-mode analysis by following the temporal evolution of some perturbed equilibria, and therefore includes transient effects. We employ a non-modal approach for studying the stability of a bi-Maxwellian magnetized plasma using the Landau fluid model, which we briefly describe. We show that bi-Maxwellian stable equilibria can support transient growth of some physical quantities, and we study how these transients behave when an equilibrium approaches its marginally stable condition. The results obtained with a non-modal approach are relevant to a re-examination of the concept of linear marginal stability. Moreover, we highlight some aspects of the dissipation of turbulent fluctuations, which suggest that the non-modal approach should be included in future studies.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- May 2010
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/715/1/260
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0910.4293
- Bibcode:
- 2010ApJ...715..260C
- Keywords:
-
- instabilities;
- plasmas;
- solar wind;
- turbulence;
- waves;
- Physics - Plasma Physics;
- Physics - Space Physics
- E-Print:
- 11 pages, 6 figures