Speaker
George Livadiotis
Description
See the full Abstract at http://ocs.ciemat.es/EPS2018ABS/pdf/P4.4015.pdf
Kappa distributions: Theory and applications in plasmas
G. Livadiotis
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio TX, USA
Classical particle systems reside at thermal equilibrium with their velocity distribution
function stabilized into a Maxwell distribution. On the contrary, collisionless and correlated
particle systems, such as space and astrophysical plasmas, are characterized by kappa
distributions or combinations thereof [1-3]. Understanding the statistical origin of kappa
distributions [4] was the cornerstone of further theoretical developments and applications,
which, among others, are the following: (i) Connection to zero-th law of thermodynamics [5];
(ii) Physical meaning of temperature [1,4,5]; (iii) Multi-particle description of kappa
distributions [6]; (iv) Phase-space kappa distributions for Hamiltonians with non-zero
potential [7,8]; (v) Sackur-Tetrode entropy for kappa distributions [1,5], (v) Generation of
kappa distributions in plasmas [1,9], and (vii) Existence of a large-scale phase-space
constant, about 12 orders larger than the one given by the Planck’s constant [10,11].
1. Livadiotis, G., 2017, Kappa distributions: Theory and applications in plasmas, Elsevier, Netherlands-UK-US.
2. Livadiotis, G., 2015, Statistical background and properties of kappa distributions in space plasmas, J.
Geophys. Res., 120, 1607–1619 (13pp).
3. Livadiotis, G., & McComas, D.J., 2013, Understanding kappa distributions: A toolbox for space science and
astrophysics, Space Sci. Rev., 75, 183–214 (32pp).
4. Livadiotis, G., & McComas, D.J., 2009, Beyond kappa distributions: Exploiting Tsallis statistical mechanics
in space plasmas, J. Geophys. Res., 114, A11105 (22pp).
5. Livadiotis, G., & McComas, D.J., 2010, Exploring transitions of space plasmas out of equilibrium, Astrophys.
J., 714, 971 (17pp).
6. Livadiotis, G., & McComas, D.J., 2011, Invariant kappa distribution in space plasmas out of equilibrium,
Astrophys. J., 741, 88 (28pp).
7. Livadiotis, G., 2015, Kappa distribution in the presence of a potential energy, J. Geophys. Res., 120, 880-903.
8. Livadiotis, G., 2018, Using kappa distributions to identify the potential energy, J Geophys Res., 123, doi:
10.1002/2017JA024978.
9. Livadiotis, G., Desai, M.I., & Wilson III, L.B., 2018, Generation of kappa distributions in solar wind at 1au,
Astrophys. J., 853, 142 (15pp).
10. Livadiotis, G., & McComas, D.J., 2013, Evidence of large scale phase space quantization in plasmas,
Entropy, 15, 1118-1132 (15pp).
11. Livadiotis, G., & Desai, M.I., 2016, Plasma-field coupling at small length scales in solar wind near 1au,
Astrophys. J., 829, 88 (14pp).
