Gyrokinetic simulation of entropy cascade in two-dimensional electrostatic turbulence

Conference item

Two-dimensional electrostatic turbulence in magnetized weakly-collisional plasmas exhibits a cascade of entropy in phase space [Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 015003 (2009)]. At scales smaller than the gyroradius, this cascade is characterized by the dimensionless ratio D of the collision time to the eddy turnover time measured at the scale of the thermal Larmor radius. When D >> 1, a broad spectrum of fluctuations at sub-Larmor scales is found in both position and velocity space. The distribution function develops structure as a function of v_⊥, the velocity coordinate perpendicular to the local magnetic field. The cascade shows a local-scale nonlinear interaction in both position and velocity spaces, and Kolmogorov’s scaling theory can be extended into phase space.

Authors: Tatsuno, T; Barnes, M; Cowley, SC; Dorland, W; Howes, GG

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Japan Society of Plasma Science and Fusion Research
• Host title: Proceedings of the 7th General Scientific Assembly of the Asia Plasma and Fusion Association in 2009 (APFA2009) and Asia-Pacific Plasma Theory Conference in 2009 (APPTC2009)
• Journal: Journal of Plasma and Fusion Research SERIES
• Volume: 9
• Pages: 509-516
• Publication date: 2010-08-13
• Acceptance date: 2010-02-24
• Event title: Asia-Pacific Plasma Theory Conference 2009 (APPTC2009)
• Event location: Aomori, Japan
• Event start date: 2009-10-27
• Event end date: 2009-10-30
• ISSN: 1883-9630
• Language: English
• Keywords: electrostatic turbulence; gyrokinetic theory; nonlinear phase mixing; kinetic dissipation; decaying turbulence simulation; Kelvin-Helmholtz instability