Kappa Distributions: Theory and Applications in Space Plasmas

dc.contributor.author	Pierrard, V.
dc.contributor.author	Lazar, M.
dc.date	2010
dc.date.accessioned	2016-03-30T12:01:17Z
dc.date.available	2016-03-30T12:01:17Z
dc.identifier.uri	https://orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/3193
dc.description	The plasma particle velocity distributions observed in the solar wind generally show enhanced (non-Maxwellian) suprathermal tails, decreasing as a power law of the velocity and well described by the family of Kappa distribution functions. The presence of non-thermal populations at different altitudes in space plasmas suggests a universal mechanism for their creation and important consequences concerning plasma fluctuations, the resonant and nonresonant wave - particle acceleration and plasma heating. These effects are well described by the kinetic approaches where no closure requires the distributions to be nearly Maxwellian. This paper summarizes and analyzes the various theories proposed for the Kappa distributions and their valuable applications in coronal and space plasmas.
dc.language	eng
dc.title	Kappa Distributions: Theory and Applications in Space Plasmas
dc.type	Article
dc.subject.frascati	Physical sciences
dc.audience	Scientific
dc.source.title	Solar Physics
dc.source.volume	267
dc.source.issue	1
dc.source.page	153-174
Orfeo.peerreviewed	Yes
dc.identifier.doi	10.1007/s11207-010-9640-2
dc.identifier.scopus	2-s2.0-78149499564