Pitch Angle Scattering of Fast Particles by Low Frequency Magnetic Fluctuations

TL;DR

This paper investigates how low frequency magnetic fluctuations cause pitch angle scattering of fast particles in magnetized plasma, deriving new predictions based on numerical orbit integration that improve understanding of particle dynamics.

Contribution

The study introduces a new model for pitch angle scattering rates based on numerical orbit integration, moving beyond traditional curvature parameter predictions.

Findings

Strong scattering occurs when the Larmor radius is comparable to the perturbation wavelength.

Scattering vanishes when the Larmor radius is much smaller or larger than the wavelength.

A scattering operator is developed for kinetic modeling applications.

Abstract

The adiabatic invariance of the magnetic moment during particle motion is of fundamental importance to the dynamics of magnetized plasma. The related rate of pitch angle scattering is investigated here for fast particles that thermally stream through static magnetic perturbations. For a uniform magnetic field with a localized perturbation it is found that the curvature parameter $\kappa^2=\min(R_c/\rho_L)$ does not predict the level of pitch angle scattering. Instead, based on numerical integration of particle orbits in prescribed magnetic fields, we derive predictions for the particle scattering rates, which can be characterized by the relative perturbation amplitude $A\simeq \delta B/B$, and the particle Larmor radius normalized by the field-aligned wavelength of the perturbations, $\rho_L/\lambda_{\|}$. Particles with $\rho_L/\lambda_{\|}\simeq1$, are subject to strong pitch angle scattering, while the level of scattering vanishes for both the limits of $\rho_L/\lambda_{\|} \ll 1$ and $\rho_L/\lambda_{\|} \gg 1$. The results are summarized in terms of a scattering operator, suitable for including the described scattering in basic kinetic models.