Energy transfer of imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence in the heliosphere

Yang, Liping; He, Jiansen; Verscharen, Daniel; Li, Hui; Bowen, Trevor A.; Bale, Stuart D.; Wu, Honghong; Li, Wenya; Wang, Ying; Zhang, Lei; Feng, Xueshang; Wu, Ziqi

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43273-4

Energy transfer of imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence in the heliosphere

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2023 · Nature Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43273-4· OSTI ID:2470551

Yang, Liping; ; Verscharen, Daniel; ; Bowen, Trevor A.; Bale, Stuart D.; Wu, Honghong; Li, Wenya; ; Zhang, Lei; Feng, Xueshang; Wu, Ziqi

Abstract Imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence is a universal process playing a crucial role in energy transfer in space, astrophysical, and laboratory plasmas. A fundamental and long-lasting question about the imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence is how and through which mechanism the energy transfers between scales. Here, we show that the energy transfer of imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence is completed by coherent interactions between Alfvén waves and co-propagating anomalous fluctuations. These anomalous fluctuations are generated by nonlinear couplings instead of linear reflection. We also reveal that the energy transfer of the waves and the anomalous fluctuations is carried out mainly through local-scale and large-scale nonlinear interactions, respectively, responsible for their bifurcated power-law spectra. This work unveils the energy transfer physics of imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence, and advances the understanding of imbalanced Alfvénic turbulence observed by Parker Solar Probe in the inner heliosphere.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 2470551

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Vol. 14, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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