Extensions of the magnetic pumping model for particle heating
POSTER
Abstract
One of the outstanding problems across a variety of astrophysical phenomena is the generation of electron and ion power-law distributions with superthermal tails. Most theories of particle energization rely on energy injection at a specific scale, such as the energy injection at the kinetic scale after passing through the turbulent cascade. We have shown that magnetic pumping, a model in which particles are heated by the largest scale magnetic fluctuations, is a complementary heating mechanism to the turbulent cascade, resulting in power-law distributions like those observed in the solar wind [1]. The ability of compressional Alfv\'enic turbulence to magnetically trap superthermal particles renders magnetic pumping an effective Fermi heating process for particles with $v\gg \omega/k$, and produces superthermal power-law distributions. Recent progress and extensions of this model will be presented, including the application of this model to differential ion heating near the solar corona. [1] E. Lichko, J. Egedal, W. Daughton, and J. Kasper. \textit{Astrophys. J. Lett.} \textbf{2}, 850 (2017)
*This research was conducted with support from the NDSEG Fellowship, 32 CFR 168a, and the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship, as well as from NSF Award 1404166 and NASA award NNX15AJ73G.