Role of Magnetic Reconnection in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence
Abstract
The current understanding of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence envisions turbulent eddies which are anisotropic in all three directions. In the plane perpendicular to the local mean magnetic field, this implies that such eddies become current-sheetlike structures at small scales. Here, we analyze the role of magnetic reconnection in these structures and conclude that reconnection becomes important at a scale λ ~ LS$$- 4/7\atop{L}$$, where SL is the outer-scale (L) Lundquist number and λ is the smallest of the field-perpendicular eddy dimensions. This scale is larger than the scale set by the resistive diffusion of eddies, therefore implying a fundamentally different route to energy dissipation than that predicted by the Kolmogorov-like phenomenology. In particular, our analysis predicts the existence of the subinertial, reconnection interval of MHD turbulence, with the estimated scaling of the Fourier energy spectrum E (k ⊥) ∝ k $$- 5/2\atop{⊥}$$, where k⊥ is the wave number perpendicular to the local mean magnetic field. The same calculation is also performed for high (perpendicular) magnetic Prandtl number plasmas (Pm), where the reconnection scale is found to be λ / L ~ S$$- 4/7\atop{L}$$ Pm -2/7.
- Authors:
-
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Science and Fusion Center
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Physics; Space Science Inst., Boulder, Co (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1505742
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1364209
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0016215; NSF AGS-1261659
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 118; Journal Issue: 24; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Citation Formats
Loureiro, Nuno F., and Boldyrev, Stanislav. Role of Magnetic Reconnection in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.118.245101.
Loureiro, Nuno F., & Boldyrev, Stanislav. Role of Magnetic Reconnection in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.118.245101
Loureiro, Nuno F., and Boldyrev, Stanislav. Fri .
"Role of Magnetic Reconnection in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.118.245101. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1505742.
@article{osti_1505742,
title = {Role of Magnetic Reconnection in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence},
author = {Loureiro, Nuno F. and Boldyrev, Stanislav},
abstractNote = {The current understanding of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence envisions turbulent eddies which are anisotropic in all three directions. In the plane perpendicular to the local mean magnetic field, this implies that such eddies become current-sheetlike structures at small scales. Here, we analyze the role of magnetic reconnection in these structures and conclude that reconnection becomes important at a scale λ ~ LS$- 4/7\atop{L}$, where SL is the outer-scale (L) Lundquist number and λ is the smallest of the field-perpendicular eddy dimensions. This scale is larger than the scale set by the resistive diffusion of eddies, therefore implying a fundamentally different route to energy dissipation than that predicted by the Kolmogorov-like phenomenology. In particular, our analysis predicts the existence of the subinertial, reconnection interval of MHD turbulence, with the estimated scaling of the Fourier energy spectrum E (k ⊥) ∝ k $- 5/2\atop{⊥}$, where k⊥ is the wave number perpendicular to the local mean magnetic field. The same calculation is also performed for high (perpendicular) magnetic Prandtl number plasmas (Pm), where the reconnection scale is found to be λ / L ~ S$- 4/7\atop{L}$ Pm -2/7.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevlett.118.245101},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 24,
volume = 118,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 16 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Jun 16 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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Figures / Tables:
FIG. 1: Sketch of the Fourier energy spectrum (log-log scale) and the shapes of eddies as a function of k⊥ ∼ 1/λ. The arrows indicate the direction of the magnetic field lines. For k⊥ < kcr ∼ 1=λcr, the turbulent eddies become progressively more anisotropic as k⊥ approaches kcr. Formore »
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