Determining Threshold Instrumental Resolutions for Resolving the Velocity‐Space Signature of Ion Landau Damping

Abstract Unraveling the physics of entire turbulent cascade energy in space and astrophysical plasmas from injection at large scales to dissipation that into plasma heat small scales, represents an overarching, open question heliophysics astrophysics. The fast cadence high phase‐space resolution particle velocity distribution measurements on modern spacecraft missions, such as recently launched Parker Solar Probe, presents exciting new opportunities for identifying mechanisms using situ distributions electromagnetic fields. Here we demonstrate how use data kinetic numerical simulations turbulence create synthetic data; this set can then be used determine instrumental requirements identify specific energization mechanisms. Using data, downsampled available instruments several past present compute resulting velocity‐space signature ion Landau damping developed Field‐Particle Correlation (FPC) technique. We find only recent missions have sufficiently fine resolve characteristic resonant features signature. Coupled with determinations signatures different proposed mechanisms, strategy enables specification capabilities required achieve science goals topic heating acceleration heliospheric plasmas.