Expansion of a plasma cloud into the solar wind

TL;DR

This paper uses 3D hybrid PIC simulations to study how a plasma cloud expands into the solar wind, showing shock formation, magnetic compression, and ion deflection, with similarities to a magnetosphere.

Contribution

It introduces detailed 3D hybrid PIC simulations to analyze plasma cloud expansion in the solar wind, highlighting shock dynamics and magnetic effects.

Findings

Shock formation during plasma expansion

Magnetic field compression around the plasma cloud

Deflection of solar wind ions around the plasma bubble

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) hybrid particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, with kinetic ions and fluid electrons, of a plasma cloud expansion in the solar wind are presented, revealing the dynamics of the expansion, with shock formation, magnetic field compression, and the solar wind ions deflection around the plasma bubble. The similarities of this system with a magnetosphere are also pointed out.