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Critical balance in magnetohydrodynamic, rotating and stratified turbulence : towards a universal scaling conjecture

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Nazarenko, Sergei and Schekochihin, Alexander A., 1973-. (2011) Critical balance in magnetohydrodynamic, rotating and stratified turbulence : towards a universal scaling conjecture. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Vol.677 . pp. 134-153. ISSN 0022-1120

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S002211201100067X

Abstract

It is proposed that critical balance - a scale-by-scale balance between the linear propagation and nonlinear interaction time scales - can be used as a universal scaling conjecture for determining the spectra of strong turbulence in anisotropic wave systems. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), rotating and stratified turbulence are considered under this assumption and, in particular, a novel and experimentally testable energy cascade scenario and a set of scalings of the spectra are proposed for low-Rossby-number rotating turbulence. It is argued that in neutral fluids the critically balanced anisotropic cascade provides a natural path from strong anisotropy at large scales to isotropic Kolmogorov turbulence at very small scales. It is also argued that the k(perpendicular to)(-2) spectra seen in recent numerical simulations of low-Rossby-number rotating turbulence may be analogous to the k(perpendicular to)(-3/2) spectra of the numerical MHD turbulence in the sense that they could be explained by assuming that fluctuations are polarised (aligned) approximately as inertial waves (Alfven waves for MHD).

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Mathematics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Magnetohydrodynamics, Turbulence
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	0022-1120
Date:	June 2011
Volume:	Vol.677
Page Range:	pp. 134-153
Identification Number:	10.1017/S002211201100067X
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	Science and Technology Facilities Council (Great Britain) (STFC), Leverhulme Trust (LT)
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/38831