Methods for characterising microphysical processes in plasmas

TL;DR

This paper reviews spectral and statistical analysis techniques used to characterize microphysical processes in plasmas, highlighting interdisciplinary commonalities and key concepts like self-similarity, intermittency, wave-turbulence, and anomalous transport.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of methods for analyzing plasma microphysics, emphasizing cross-disciplinary similarities and key analytical concepts.

Findings

Identification of common analytical tools across disciplines

Emphasis on concepts like self-similarity and intermittency

Highlighting the role of wave-turbulence and anomalous transport

Abstract

Advanced spectral and statistical data analysis techniques have greatly contributed to shaping our understanding of microphysical processes in plasmas. We review some of the main techniques that allow for characterising fluctuation phenomena in geospace and in laboratory plasma observations. Special emphasis is given to the commonalities between different disciplines, which have witnessed the development of similar tools, often with differing terminologies. The review is phrased in terms of few important concepts: self-similarity, deviation from self-similarity (i.e. intermittency and coherent structures), wave-turbulence, and anomalous transport.