Anisotropy of Imbalanced Alfvenic Turbulence in Fast Solar Wind
- Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3NP (United Kingdom)
We present the first measurement of the scale-dependent power anisotropy of Elsasser variables in imbalanced fast solar wind turbulence. The dominant Elsasser mode is isotropic at lower spacecraft frequencies but becomes increasingly anisotropic at higher frequencies. The subdominant mode is anisotropic throughout. There are two distinct subranges exhibiting different scalings within what is normally considered the inertial range. The low Alfven ratio and the different scaling of the Elsasser modes suggests an interpretation of the observed discrepancy between the velocity and magnetic field scalings, the total energy is dominated by the latter. These results do not appear to be fully explained by any of the current theories of incompressible imbalanced MHD turbulence.
- OSTI ID:
- 21532266
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.045001; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0031-9007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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