A Case for Electron-Astrophysics

TL;DR

This paper emphasizes the importance of electron-scale processes in understanding plasma energy transport and dissipation in astrophysical contexts, highlighting the role of electron dynamics in plasma turbulence and energization.

Contribution

It advocates for focusing on electron scales as the next frontier in space and astrophysical plasma research to better understand energy dissipation mechanisms.

Findings

Electron dynamics are crucial for plasma behavior at small scales.

Electron scales are the bottleneck for turbulence dissipation.

Electrons strongly influence global plasma thermodynamics.

Abstract

A grand-challenge problem at the forefront of physics is to understand how energy is transported and transformed in plasmas. This fundamental research priority encapsulates the conversion of plasma-flow and electromagnetic energies into particle energy, either as heat or some other form of energisation. The smallest characteristic scales, at which electron dynamics determines the plasma behaviour, are the next frontier in space and astrophysical plasma research. The analysis of astrophysical processes at these scales lies at the heart of the field of electron-astrophysics. Electron scales are the ultimate bottleneck for dissipation of plasma turbulence, which is a fundamental process not understood in the electron-kinetic regime. Since electrons are the most numerous and most mobile plasma species in fully ionised plasmas and are strongly guided by the magnetic field, their thermal properties couple very efficiently to global plasma dynamics and thermodynamics.