On the Role of Long-Range Connectivity in Space Plasma Complexity

English Abstract:

In many frameworks space plasmas display a self-similar dynamics in response to external driving. This is, for instance, the case of the Earth’s magnetotail plasma sheet during magnetospheric substorms in response to solar wind changes. This behavior has been interpreted in terms of a near Forced and/or Self-Organized Criticality dynamics. However, there are some aspects of the event statistics that depart from what is expected for a near criticality dynamics, resembling features more similar to extremum statistics. Here, we investigate the role that long-range connectivity plays in the space plasma avalanching systems, presenting the results of a sandpile model on network. A discussion of the similarity and differences between classical SOC models and our network model is presented with reference to the criticality behavior and the intermittent nature of the dynamics.

This work is supported by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007-2013]) under Grant no. 313038/STORM