Velocity-space turbulent cascade in the near-Sun solar wind: first insights from the Parker Solar Probe mission

TL;DR

This study investigates the turbulent cascade in velocity space of the solar wind near the Sun using Parker Solar Probe data, revealing a dual cascade in real and velocity space through Hermite spectrum analysis.

Contribution

It provides the first analysis of the Hermite spectrum of ion velocity distribution functions in the inner heliosphere from Parker Solar Probe data, linking velocity space cascades to energization processes.

Findings

Qualitative agreement between energization proxies and Hermite analysis.

Evidence of a dual cascade in real and velocity space.

Differences observed between superalfvénic and subalfvénic streams.

Abstract

In space plasmas, the rarity of collisions leads to complex structures in the velocity space where a turbulent cascade of the velocity distribution function fluctuations is thought to occur. Previous studies have explored this phenomenon using the Hermite decomposition of the ion velocity distribution function (VDF) in both magnetosheath data and numerical simulations. In this work, we investigate the Hermite spectrum of the ion VDFs measured by Parker Solar Probe in the inner heliosphere. We analyze a superalfv\'enic stream at a radial distances of $R \approx 28 R_{sun}$ and a subalfv\'enic at $R \approx 11 R_{sun}$, the former characterized by a prevalence of VDFs with suprathermal beams (also known as hammerhead). The Hermite analysis is also compared with various proxies of energization and dissipation, in order to establish a connection between turbulent cascades in real space and those in the velocity space. A qualitative agreement between the energization proxies and the Hermite analysis is observed. The results are suggestive of the presence of a dual cascade in real and velocity space.