scholarly journals Scaling laws in Hall-inertial range turbulence

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhito Narita ◽  
Wolfgang Baumjohann ◽  
Rudolf A. Treumann

Abstract. There is an increasing amount of observational evidence in space plasma for the breakdown of inertial-range spectra of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence on spatial scales smaller than the ion inertial length. Magnetic energy spectra often exhibit a steepening, which is reminiscent of dissipation of turbulence energy, for example in wave-particle interactions. Electric energy spectra, on the other hand, tend to be flatter than those of MHD turbulence, which is indicative of a dispersive process converting magnetic into electric energy in electromagnetic wave excitation. Here we develop a model of the scaling laws and the power spectra for the Hall-inertial range in plasma turbulence. A phenomenological approach is taken. The Hall electric field attains an electrostatic component when the wave vectors are perpendicular to the mean magnetic field. The power spectra of Hall-turbulence are steep for the magnetic field with slope of −7/3 for compressible magnetic turbulence, they are flatter for the Hall electric field with slope −1/3. Our model for the Hall-turbulence serves as a likely candidate to explain the steepening of the magnetic energy spectra in the solar wind neither as indication of the dissipation range nor the dispersive range but as the Hall-inertial range. Our model also reproduces the shape of energy spectra in Kelvin-Helmholtz turbulence observed at the Earth magnetopause.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 825-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhito Narita ◽  
Wolfgang Baumjohann ◽  
Rudolf A. Treumann

Abstract. There is an increasing amount of observational evidence in space plasmas for the breakdown of inertial-range spectra of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence on spatial scales smaller than the ion-inertial length. Magnetic energy spectra often exhibit a steepening, which is reminiscent of dissipation of turbulence energy, for example in wave–particle interactions. Electric energy spectra, on the other hand, tend to be flatter than those of MHD turbulence, which is indicative of a dispersive process converting magnetic into electric energy in electromagnetic wave excitation. Here we develop a model of the scaling laws and the power spectra for the Hall inertial range in plasma turbulence. In the present paper we consider a two-dimensional geometry with no wave vector component parallel to the magnetic field as is appropriate in Hall MHD. A phenomenological approach is taken. The Hall electric field attains an electrostatic component when the wave vectors are perpendicular to the mean magnetic field. The power spectra of Hall turbulence are steep for the magnetic field with a slope of -7/3 for compressible magnetic turbulence; they are flatter for the Hall electric field with a slope of -1/3. Our model for the Hall turbulence gives a possible explanation for the steepening of the magnetic energy spectra in the solar wind as an indication of neither the dissipation range nor the dispersive range but as the Hall inertial range. Our model also reproduces the shape of energy spectra in Kelvin–Helmholtz turbulence observed at the Earth's magnetopause.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin D. G. Chandran ◽  
Jean C. Perez

We present three-dimensional direct numerical simulations and an analytic model of reflection-driven magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in the solar wind. Our simulations describe transverse, non-compressive MHD fluctuations within a narrow magnetic flux tube that extends from the photosphere, through the chromosphere and corona and out to a heliocentric distance  $r$ of 21 solar radii  $(R_{\odot })$ . We launch outward-propagating ‘ $\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$ fluctuations’ into the simulation domain by imposing a randomly evolving photospheric velocity field. As these fluctuations propagate away from the Sun, they undergo partial reflection, producing inward-propagating ‘ $\boldsymbol{z}^{-}$ fluctuations’. Counter-propagating fluctuations subsequently interact, causing fluctuation energy to cascade to small scales and dissipate. Our analytic model incorporates dynamic alignment, allows for strongly or weakly turbulent nonlinear interactions and divides the $\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$ fluctuations into two populations with different characteristic radial correlation lengths. The inertial-range power spectra of $\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$ and $\boldsymbol{z}^{-}$ fluctuations in our simulations evolve toward a $k_{\bot }^{-3/2}$ scaling at $r>10R_{\odot }$ , where $k_{\bot }$ is the wave-vector component perpendicular to the background magnetic field. In two of our simulations, the $\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$ power spectra are much flatter between the coronal base and $r\simeq 4R_{\odot }$ . We argue that these spectral scalings are caused by: (i) high-pass filtering in the upper chromosphere; (ii) the anomalous coherence of inertial-range $\boldsymbol{z}^{-}$ fluctuations in a reference frame propagating outwards with the $\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$ fluctuations; and (iii) the change in the sign of the radial derivative of the Alfvén speed at $r=r_{\text{m}}\simeq 1.7R_{\odot }$ , which disrupts this anomalous coherence between $r=r_{\text{m}}$ and $r\simeq 2r_{\text{m}}$ . At $r>1.3R_{\odot }$ , the turbulent heating rate in our simulations is comparable to the turbulent heating rate in a previously developed solar-wind model that agreed with a number of observational constraints, consistent with the hypothesis that MHD turbulence accounts for much of the heating of the fast solar wind.


2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amnon Fruchtman

Penetration of a magnetic field into plasma that is faster than resistive diffusion can be induced by the Hall electric field in a non-uniform plasma. This mechanism explained successfully the measured velocity of the magnetic field penetration into pulsed plasmas. Major related issues have not yet been resolved. Such is the theoretically predicted, but so far not verified experimentally, high magnetic energy dissipation, as well as the correlation between the directions of the density gradient and of the field penetration.


1996 ◽  
Vol 306 ◽  
pp. 167-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Bowman

Inertial-range scaling laws for two- and three-dimensional turbulence are re-examined within a unified framework. A new correction to Kolmogorov's k−5/3 scaling is derived for the energy inertial range. A related modification is found to Kraichnan's logarithmically corrected two-dimensional enstrophy-range law that removes its unexpected divergence at the injection wavenumber. The significance of these corrections is illustrated with steady-state energy spectra from recent high-resolution closure computations. Implications for conventional numerical simulations are discussed. These results underscore the asymptotic nature of inertial-range scaling laws.


2012 ◽  
Vol 703 ◽  
pp. 238-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke A. K. Blackbourn ◽  
Chuong V. Tran

AbstractWe study two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, with an emphasis on its energetics and inertial-range scaling laws. A detailed spectral analysis shows that dynamo triads (those converting kinetic into magnetic energy) are associated with a direct magnetic energy flux while anti-dynamo triads (those converting magnetic into kinetic energy) are associated with an inverse magnetic energy flux. As both dynamo and anti-dynamo interacting triads are integral parts of the direct energy transfer, the anti-dynamo inverse flux partially neutralizes the dynamo direct flux, arguably resulting in relatively weak direct energy transfer and giving rise to dynamo saturation. This result is consistent with a qualitative prediction of energy transfer reduction due to Alfvén wave effects by the Iroshnikov–Kraichnan theory (which was originally formulated for magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in three dimensions). We numerically confirm the correlation between dynamo action and direct magnetic energy flux and investigate the applicability of quantitative aspects of the Iroshnikov–Kraichnan theory to the present case, particularly its predictions of energy equipartition and ${k}^{\ensuremath{-} 3/ 2} $ spectra in the energy inertial range. It is found that for turbulence satisfying the Kraichnan condition of magnetic energy at large scales exceeding total energy in the inertial range, the kinetic energy spectrum, which is significantly shallower than ${k}^{\ensuremath{-} 3/ 2} $, is shallower than its magnetic counterpart. This result suggests no energy equipartition. The total energy spectrum appears to depend on the energy composition of the turbulence but is clearly shallower than ${k}^{\ensuremath{-} 3/ 2} $ for $r\approx 2$, even at moderate resolutions. Here $r\approx 2$ is the magnetic-to-kinetic energy ratio during the stage when the turbulence can be considered fully developed. The implication of the present findings is discussed in conjunction with further numerical results on the dependence of the energy dissipation rate on resolution.


1972 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Leonard

Normal ionizing shock waves are considered as a subclass of oblique shocks in which the upstream transverse magnetic field component is zero; i.e. the upstream field is normal to the plane of the shock. Non-trivial (switch-on) normal shocks involve a non-zero downstream transverse field component; magnetically trivial normal shocks are simply gas shocks with an imbedded constant normal magnetic field. As with oblique shocks, switch-on normal ionizing shock waves are plane- polarized, provided the conductivity is a scalar. Ohmic structures are discussed for several values of shock Alfv én number, treating the electric field as a free parameter, as usual. For Alfv én numbers extending from zero to two (for the infinite-Mach-number case), there is always a finite range of E field values. Above two, only the gas shock exists, and this requires a unique electric field value. Because the magnetic field magnitude increases through switch-on shocks, there is no mechanism available for converting magnetic energy into thermal energy, as is the case for oblique or skew shocks. Thus, there is no significant downstream heating above the viscous temperature; and, in some cases, slight downstream cooling may even occur. Expansion shocks are not possible in this geometry. Previous studies are reviewed in the light of structural requirements, and some erroneous results are clarified; in particular, it should be noted that MHD switchon solutions for the pre-ionized case are not imbedded in the family of ionizing switch-on solutions.


1976 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pouquet ◽  
U. Frisch ◽  
J. Léorat

To understand the turbulent generation of large-scale magnetic fields and to advance beyond purely kinematic approaches to the dynamo effect like that introduced by Steenbeck, Krause & Radler (1966)’ a new nonlinear theory is developed for three-dimensional, homogeneous, isotropic, incompressible MHD turbulence with helicity, i.e. not statistically invariant under plane reflexions. For this, techniques introduced for ordinary turbulence in recent years by Kraichnan (1971 a)’ Orszag (1970, 1976) and others are generalized to MHD; in particular we make use of the eddy-damped quasi-normal Markovian approximation. The resulting closed equations for the evolution of the kinetic and magnetic energy and helicity spectra are studied both theoretically and numerically in situations with high Reynolds number and unit magnetic Prandtl number.Interactions between widely separated scales are much more important than for non-magnetic turbulence. Large-scale magnetic energy brings to equipartition small-scale kinetic and magnetic excitation (energy or helicity) by the ‘Alfvén effect’; the small-scale ‘residual’ helicity, which is the difference between a purely kinetic and a purely magnetic helical term, induces growth of large-scale magnetic energy and helicity by the ‘helicity effect’. In the absence of helicity an inertial range occurs with a cascade of energy to small scales; to lowest order it is a −3/2 power law with equipartition of kinetic and magnetic energy spectra as in Kraichnan (1965) but there are −2 corrections (and possibly higher ones) leading to a slight excess of magnetic energy. When kinetic energy is continuously injected, an initial seed of magnetic field will grow to approximate equipartition, at least in the small scales. If in addition kinetic helicity is injected, an inverse cascade of magnetic helicity is obtained leading to the appearance of magnetic energy and helicity in ever-increasing scales (in fact, limited by the size of the system). This inverse cascade, predicted by Frischet al.(1975), results from a competition between the helicity and Alféh effects and yields an inertial range with approximately — 1 and — 2 power laws for magnetic energy and helicity. When kinetic helicity is injected at the scale linjand the rate$\tilde{\epsilon}^V$(per unit mass), the time of build-up of magnetic energy with scaleL[Gt ] linjis$t \approx L(|\tilde{\epsilon}^V|l^2_{\rm inj})^{-1/3}.$


Author(s):  
Y. J. Gu ◽  
Q. Yu ◽  
O. Klimo ◽  
T. Zh. Esirkepov ◽  
S. V. Bulanov ◽  
...  

Fast magnetic field annihilation in a collisionless plasma is induced by using TEM(1,0) laser pulse. The magnetic quadrupole structure formation, expansion and annihilation stages are demonstrated with 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The magnetic field energy is converted to the electric field and accelerate the particles inside the annihilation plane. A bunch of high energy electrons moving backwards is detected in the current sheet. The strong displacement current is the dominant contribution which induces the longitudinal inductive electric field.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
pp. 0
Author(s):  
Mimi Dai

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>We introduce the concept of intermittency dimension for the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) to quantify the intermittency effect. With dependence on the intermittency dimension, we derive phenomenological laws for intermittent MHD turbulence with and without the Hall effect. In particular, scaling laws of dissipation wavenumber, energy spectra and structure functions are predicted. Moreover, we are able to provide estimates for energy spectra and structure functions which are consistent with the predicted scalings.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepali Deepali ◽  
Supratik Banerjee

&lt;p&gt;We study the variation of average powers and spectral indices of electric field fluctuations with respect to the angle between average flow direction and the mean magnetic field in solar wind turbulence. Cluster spacecraft data from the years 2002 and 2007 are used for the present analysis. We perform a scale dependent study with respect to the local mean magnetic field using wavelet analysis technique. Prominent anisotropies are found for both the spectral index and power levels of the electric power spectra. Similar to the magnetic field fluctuations, the parallel (or antiparallel) electric fluctuation spectrum is found to be steeper than the perpendicular spectrum. However the parallel (or antiparallel) electric power is found to be greater than the perpendicular one. Below 0.1 Hz, the slope of the parallel electric power spectra deviates substantially from that of the total magnetic power spectra, supporting the existence of Alfv&amp;#233;nic turbulence.&lt;/p&gt;


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