Solar energetic particle propagation in wave turbulence and the possibility of wave generation

Abstract

A complete theory for the complex interaction between solar energetic particles (SEPs) and the turbulent interplanetary magnetic field remains elusive. In this work we aim to contribute to such a theory by modeling the propagation of SEP electrons in plasma wave turbulence. We specify a background turbulence spectrum, as constrained through observations, calculate the transport coefficients from first principles, and simulate the propagation of these electrons in the inner heliosphere. We have also, for the first time, included dynamical effects into the perpendicular diffusion coefficient. We show that such a "physics-first" approach can lead to reasonable results, when compared qualitatively to observations. In addition, we include the effect of wave growth/damping due to streaming electrons and show that these particles can significantly alter the turbulence levels close to the Sun for the largest events