Divergence of neighboring magnetic-field lines and fast-particle diffusion in strong magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, with application to thermal conduction in galaxy clusters.

Using direct numerical simulations, we calculate the rate of divergence of neighboring magnetic-field lines in different types of strong magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. In the static-magnetic-field approximation, our results imply that tangled magnetic fields in galaxy clusters reduce the electron diffusion coefficient and thermal conductivity by a factor of approximately 5-10, relative to their values in a nonmagnetized plasma.