A Drift‐Kinetic Method for Obtaining Gradients in Plasma Properties From Single‐Point Distribution Function Data

In this paper, we derive a new drift‐kinetic method for estimating gradients in the plasma properties through a velocity space distribution at a single point. The gradients are intrinsically related to agyrotropic features of the distribution function. This method predicts the gradients in the magnetized distribution function and can predict gradients of arbitrary moments of the gyrotropic background distribution function. The method allows for estimates on density and pressure gradients on the scale of a Larmor radius, proving to resolve smaller scales than any method currently available to spacecraft. The model is verified with a set of fully kinetic VPIC particle‐in‐cell simulations. A drift‐kinetic method of measuring spatial gradients in the distribution function from local velocity‐space distributions is developedThis framework is extended to find gradients in arbitrary moments of the distribution functionThese methods are verified with simulation data, demonstrating resolution at the electron kinetic scale