Self-organization in three-dimensional compressible magnetohydrodynamic flow

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866743· OSTI ID:5264125

Horiuchi, R; Sato, T

A three-dimensional self-organization process of a compressible dissipative plasma with a velocity-magnetic field correlation is investigated in detail by means of a variational method and a magnetohydrodynamic simulation. There are two types of relaxation, i.e., fast relaxation in which the cross helicity is not conserved and slow relaxation in which the cross helicity is conserved approximately. In the slow relaxation case the cross helicity consists of two components with opposite sign that have almost the same amplitude in the large wavenumber region. In both cases the system approaches a high correlation state, dependent on the initial condition. These results are consistent with observational data of the solar wind. Selective dissipation of magnetic energy, normal cascade of magnetic energy spectrum, and inverse cascade of magnetic helicity spectrum are observed for the sub-Alfvenic flow case, as was observed previously for the zero-flow case. When the flow velocity is super-Alfvenic, the relaxation process is altered significantly from the zero-flow case.

• Research Organization: Science Project Corporation, Kuchita-Mimami 3-40-17-304, Asakika-Ku, Hiroshima 739-19, Japan
• OSTI ID: 5264125
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 31:5; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
COMPRESSIBLE FLOW
CONFINEMENT
CONSERVATION LAWS
CORRELATION FUNCTIONS
ENERGY LOSSES
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FUNCTIONS
HELICITY
HYDRODYNAMICS
LOSSES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PLASMA
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA DRIFT
RELAXATION
SIMULATION
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VARIATIONAL METHODS
VELOCITY