Small scale coherent vortex generation in drift wave-zonal flow turbulence
- Seoul National Univ. (Korea, Republic of)
- Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
We present a paradigm for the generation of small scale coherent vortex (SSCV) in drift wave-zonal flow (DW-ZF) turbulence. Here, we demonstrate that phases of DWs can couple coherently, mediated by the ZF shearing. A SSCV is formed when the phases of the DWs are “attracted” to form a stable “phase cluster.” We show that the ZF shearing induces asymmetry between “attractive” and “repulsive” phase couplings, so that a net attractive phase coupling results. The turbulent DWs will (partially)synchronize into a stable SSCV at locations, where the attractive phase coupling induced by the ZF shearing exceeds the “detuning” effects by the DW dispersion and random phase scattering. We also discuss the “self-binding” effect of the newly formed SSCV.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-04ER54738; NSF PHY11- 25915
- OSTI ID:
- 1468788
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1233930
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 12; ISSN 1070-664X
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
Another look at zonal flows: Resonance, shearing, and frictionless saturation
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journal | April 2018 |
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