Coexistence of turbulence and discrete modes in the solar wind

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2009

Abstract

Motivated by apparently contradictory reports of turbulence and discrete frequency wave-like signals in the interplanetary medium, we employ numerical simulations to investigate the persistence of wave-like spatial structures in the presence of strong low-frequency turbulence. We seek to identify the time scales and other conditions that permit them to remain as identifiable structures in the turbulent medium. The wave-like structures are initialized as discrete modes in wave number in a series of spectral method magnetohydrodynamic turbulence computations. We find that discrete modes can survive from one to many nonlinear times and that the main factor that determines their survivability is the separation from turbulence in parallel wave number. This corresponds to a separation in their corresponding Alfvén mode frequency. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Identifier

72649083947 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JA014092

e-ISSN

21699402

Issue

8

Volume

114

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