Precise evolution of turbulence at ion kinetic scales

Determine the precise evolution of solar-wind turbulence at ion kinetic scales, specifically characterizing how the turbulent cascade transitions across ion characteristic scales and how fluctuation properties change from magnetohydrodynamic scales to sub-ion kinetic scales.

Background

The paper studies solar-wind turbulence using Parker Solar Probe observations and focuses on the transition from magnetohydrodynamic scales to kinetic Alfvén wave (KAW) dominated regimes. While there is substantial evidence for KAWs at ion scales from observations and simulations, the detailed evolutionary pathway of the turbulence across ion kinetic scales is not yet established. This motivates the development of diagnostics and statistical analyses of magnetic helicity spanning inertial, transition, and kinetic-inertial ranges.