Spectral evolution and cascade constant of solar wind Alfvenic turbulence

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA094iA10p13575· OSTI ID:5220642

Tu, C ^[1]; Roberts, D A; Goldstein, M L ^[2]

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1. Max Planck Institut fuer Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau, (Federal Republic of Germany)
2. Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland (USA)

The theoretical model of Tu (1988b) for the turbulent evolution of solar wind fluctuations assumed the constancy of the ratio {alpha}{sub 1} between the energy in inward and outward propagating Alfven waves. Hence we extend this model to reflect the observed evolution in the propagation directions of the interplanetary fluctuations. The radial dependence of {alpha}{sub 1} is determined by direct time domain correlations of the normalized cross helicity. The theoretical results match the observations at least as well as those of the previous, constant {alpha}{sub 1}, model. Measured values of 1.25 for this constant is very close to the value observed in fluid turbulence if we assume the correspondence between fluid and magnetofluid theories should be made for uncorrelated (zero cross helicity) MHD turbulence. {copyright} American Geophysical Union 1989

• OSTI ID: 5220642
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Vol. 94:A10; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
SOLAR WIND
PROTON TEMPERATURE
ALFVEN WAVES
ENERGY SPECTRA
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MHD EQUILIBRIUM
PLASMA SIMULATION
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
WAVE PROPAGATION
EQUILIBRIUM
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MECHANICS
SIMULATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SPECTRA
640104* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Solar Phenomena