| Literature DB >> 16605832 |
Abstract
We propose a phenomenological theory of strong incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the presence of a strong large-scale external magnetic field. We argue that in the inertial range of scales, magnetic-field and velocity-field fluctuations tend to align the directions of their polarizations. However, the perfect alignment cannot be reached; it is precluded by the presence of a constant energy flux over scales. As a consequence, the directions of shear-Alfvén fluid and magnetic-field fluctuations at each scale lambda become effectively aligned within the angle phi(lambda) proportional to lambda (1/4), which leads to scale-dependent depletion of the nonlinear interaction and to the field-perpendicular energy spectrum E(k(perpendicular)) proportional to k(perpendicular)(-3/2). Our results may be universal, i.e., independent of the external magnetic field, since small-scale fluctuations locally experience a strong field produced by large-scale eddies.Year: 2006 PMID: 16605832 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.115002
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Phys Rev Lett ISSN: 0031-9007 Impact factor: 9.161