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Quantifying Energy Conversion in Higher-Order Phase Space Density Moments in Plasmas
Paul A Cassak1, M Hasan Barbhuiya1, Haoming Liang2
1Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 10, 2023
Summary
Understanding energy conversion in plasmas far from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) is crucial. This study reveals that higher-order moments, often overlooked, significantly contribute to energy conversion in collisionless plasmas.
Area of Science:
- Plasma physics
- Astrophysical plasma dynamics
- Space plasma research
Background:
- Plasmas far from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) present challenges for energy conversion studies.
- Traditional methods focus on thermal energy and density, neglecting higher-order moments.
- Accurate energy conversion analysis is vital for understanding complex plasma phenomena.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a first-principles calculation for energy conversion in non-LTE systems.
- To investigate the role of higher-order moments in plasma energy dynamics.
- To assess the significance of these higher-order effects in collisionless plasmas.
Main Methods:
- First-principles calculation of energy conversion.
- Analysis of higher-order moments of phase space density.
- Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection.
Main Results:
- Energy conversion associated with higher-order moments was calculated from first principles.
- Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrated locally significant energy conversion via higher-order moments.
- The standard approach omitting these moments was shown to be incomplete.
Conclusions:
- Higher-order moments play a significant role in energy conversion in non-LTE plasmas.
- These findings are applicable to various plasma phenomena like magnetic reconnection and turbulence.
- The study provides a more comprehensive framework for plasma energy conversion analysis.
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