Developing Predictive Models of Turbulent Heating in Space and Astrophysical Plasmas

Turbulence plays a key role in many space and astrophysical plasmas, mediating the transport of the energy of large-scale electromagnetic fields and plasma flows down to smaller scales, where that energy is dissipated, ultimately being deposited as heat of the plasma species or acceleration of a small population of particles. The multi-scale nature of space plasmas means that this plasma heating can feedback to influence the evolution of the system at mesoscopic and macroscopic scales. A major goal of the heliophysics and astrophysics communities is to develop predictive models of the plasma heating in terms of the plasma and turbulence parameters. Here, we will identify the critical dimensionless parameters that influence the turbulent dynamics and resulting plasma heating. Determining how the proposed mechanisms of turbulent dissipation depend on these parameters, and devising means of validating those predictions using kinetic numerical simulations and spacecraft observations, is critical step in developing a predictive capability. I will present a preliminary calculation of these dependencies and outline specific avenues, in particular using the field-particle correlation technique, to validate those findings and construct improved turbulent heating models for use in large-scale modeling.