Hybrid simulations of the proton beam instabilities in the young solar wind. The formation of hammerhead-like distributions

Researchers have utilized hybrid simulations to investigate the formation of hammerhead-like proton velocity distributions in the young solar wind.

These simulations, based on properties observed by the Parker Solar Probe, demonstrate that plasma wave instabilities, specifically those involving right-handed polarized waves, drive beam relaxation and generate these unique distributions.

The findings provide a theoretical explanation for observed phenomena in the solar wind, linking wave activity to particle behavior.