Direct observation of ion cyclotron damping of turbulence in Earth’s magnetosheath plasma

Plasma turbulence plays a key role in space and astrophysical plasma systems, enabling the energy of magnetic fields and plasma flows to be transported to particle kinetic scales at which the turbulence dissipates and heats the plasma. Identifying the physical mechanisms responsible for the dissipation of the turbulent energy is a critical step in developing the predictive capability for the turbulent heating needed by global models. In this work, spacecraft measurements of the electromagnetic fields and ion velocity distributions by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission are used to generate velocity-space signatures that identify ion cyclotron damping in Earth’s turbulent magnetosheath, in agreement with analytical modeling. Furthermore, the rate of ion energization is directly quantified and combined with a previous analysis of the electron energization to identify the dominant channels of turbulent dissipation and determine the partitioning of energy among species in this interval. Most space plasmas are in turbulent state and turbulence plays an essential role in transferring energy from large to small scales. Here, the authors show direct measurements of ion cyclotron damping in the Earth’s turbulent magnetosheath plasma and the resulting ion and electron energization rates.