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Statistical acceleration of electrons by lower-hybrid turbulence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

C. S. Wu
Affiliation:
Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, U.S.A.
J. D. Gaffey Jr
Affiliation:
Geophysical and Plasma Dynamics Branch, Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375, U.S.A.
B. Liberman
Affiliation:
Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 90000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil

Extract

The statistical acceleration of electrons along an ambient magnetic field by large-amplitude lower-hybrid turbulence is discussed. Perturbations driven by a crossfield current and propagating nearly perpendicular to the applied magnetic field are considered. It is assumed that the instability saturates rapidly and that the fluctuating electric field is predominantly electrostatic. This work is not concerned with the detailed saturation mechanism, but rather with what happens to the electrons after the turbulence has saturated. If the turbulence is characterized by a spectrum of small parallel wavenumbers, such that the parallel phase velocity of the waves is greater than the electron thermal velocity, then the turbulence can only accelerate electrons moving with large velocities along the magnetic field. The qusai-linear diffusion equation is solved using a Green's function technique, assuming a power law spectral energy density. The time evolution of an initial Maxwellian distribution is given and the time rate of change of the mean electron energy is calculated for various cases.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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