# Fully kinetic versus reduced-kinetic modelling of collisionless plasma turbulence

## TL;DR

This study compares fully-kinetic and reduced-kinetic models of collisionless plasma turbulence in 2D, revealing where simplified models agree or differ from the comprehensive FK model across different plasma beta regimes.

## Contribution

It provides a detailed comparison of kinetic models, highlighting the accuracy and limitations of reduced models like GK and HK against the fully-kinetic baseline.

## Key findings

- Good agreement between GK and FK at certain scales for β_i=0.5
- HK produces shallower spectra due to lack of electron Landau damping
- Discrepancies at kinetic scales for β_i=0.1, indicating limits of reduced models

## Abstract

We report the results of a direct comparison between different kinetic models of collisionless plasma turbulence in two spatial dimensions. The models considered include a first principles fully-kinetic (FK) description, two widely used reduced models [gyrokinetic (GK) and hybrid-kinetic (HK) with fluid electrons], and a novel reduced gyrokinetic approach (KREHM). Two different ion beta ($\beta_i$) regimes are considered: 0.1 and 0.5. For $\beta_i=0.5$, good agreement between the GK and FK models is found at scales ranging from the ion to the electron gyroradius, thus providing firm evidence for a kinetic Alfv\'en cascade scenario. In the same range, the HK model produces shallower spectral slopes, presumably due to the lack of electron Landau damping. For $\beta_i=0.1$, a detailed analysis of spectral ratios reveals a slight disagreement between the GK and FK descriptions at kinetic scales, even though kinetic Alfv\'en fluctuations likely still play a significant role. The discrepancy can be traced back to scales above the ion gyroradius, where the FK and HK results seem to suggest the presence of fast magnetosonic and ion Bernstein modes in both plasma beta regimes, but with a more notable deviation from GK in the low-beta case. The identified practical limits and strengths of reduced-kinetic approximations, compared here against the fully-kinetic model on a case-by-case basis, may provide valuable insight into the main kinetic effects at play in turbulent collisionless plasmas, such as the solar wind.