A prescription for the turbulent heating of astrophysical plasmas
Abstract
The ion-to-electron heating ratio due to the dissipation of Alfvénic turbulence in astrophysical plasmas is calculated based on a cascade model for turbulence in weakly collisional plasmas. Conditions for validity of this model are discussed, a prescription for the turbulent heating is presented and it is applied to predict turbulent heating in accretion discs and the interstellar medium.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- November 2010
- DOI:
- 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2010.00958.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1009.4212
- Bibcode:
- 2010MNRAS.409L.104H
- Keywords:
-
- accretion;
- accretion discs;
- plasmas;
- turbulence;
- ISM: kinematics and dynamics;
- Galaxy: centred;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- Physics - Plasma Physics
- E-Print:
- 5 pages, 4 figures, Accepted to Monthly Notices of Royal Astronomical Society Letters