Magnetic depressions in a kinetic turbulence simulation

We present a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of decaying turbulence with initial conditions representative of the solar wind, in which magnetic depressions form during the nonlinear phase. We analyse the statistical properties of these structures, including size and intensity. We analyse a few of them in detail, looking at the properties of ions and electrons inside and outside them. Using virtual spacecraft, we simulate how these structures would be observed in situ by real spacecraft. We also analyse the trajectories of a few macroparticles entering these structures and undergoing trapping. We compare our simulation results with recent Solar Orbiter observations in the solar wind.