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Nonaxisymmetric anisotropy of solar wind turbulence

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Turner, A. J. (Andrew J.), Gogoberidze, Grigol, Chapman, Sandra C., Hnat, B. and Müller, W.-C.. (2011) Nonaxisymmetric anisotropy of solar wind turbulence. Physical Review Letters, Vol.107 (No.9). Article no. 095002 . ISSN 0031-9007

Full text not available from this repository.

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.095002

Abstract

A key prediction of turbulence theories is frame-invariance, and in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, axisymmetry of fluctuations with respect to the background magnetic field. Paradoxically the power in fluctuations in the turbulent solar wind are observed to be ordered with respect to the bulk macroscopic flow as well as the background magnetic field. Here, nonaxisymmetry across the inertial and dissipation ranges is quantified using in situ observations from Cluster. The observed inertial range nonaxisymmetry is reproduced by a "fly through" sampling of a direct numerical simulation of MHD turbulence. Furthermore, fly through sampling of a linear superposition of transverse waves with axisymmetric fluctuations generates the trend in nonaxisymmetry with power spectral exponent. The observed nonaxisymmetric anisotropy may thus simply arise as a sampling effect related to Taylor's hypothesis and is not related to the plasma dynamics itself.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

Q Science > QB Astronomy
Q Science > QC Physics

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Physics

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Interplanetary magnetic fields, Anisotropy, Solar wind, Magnetohydrodynamic waves, Heliosphere (Astrophysics)

Journal or Publication Title:

Physical Review Letters

Publisher:

American Physical Society

ISSN:

0031-9007

Official Date:

August 2011

Dates:

Date	Event
August 2011	Published

Volume:

Vol.107

Number:

No.9

Page Range:

Article no. 095002

Identifier:

10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.095002

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

Funder:

Science and Technology Facilities Council (Great Britain) (STFC)

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