Turbulence in the interplanetary medium: Can discrete modes co-exist with turbulence?

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

12-1-2010

Abstract

Spacecraft observations during the last decade suggest the presence of discrete frequency wave-like signals embedded in turbulent solar wind fluctuations. A basic plasma physics question immediately arises how a single monochromatic wave mode can survive in the presence of magnetofluid turbulence. Early one- and two-dimensional magnetofluid simulation studies appear to refute the observations by showing that discrete modes are destroyed within fractions of a characteristic nonlinear time scale. Here we readdress the problem using fully-compressible three-dimensional magnetofluid simulations. We investigate the persistence of discrete wave-like spatial structures in the presence of strong low-frequency turbulence and seek to identify the time scales and other conditions that permit them to remain as identifiable modes in the turbulent medium. We find that discrete modes can survive from one to many nonlinear times, and that the two main factors that determine their survivability is the presence of a mean magnetic field and sufficient scale separation in parallel wavenumber between the discrete mode's wavelength and the length scales of the turbulence. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Identifier

79251649657 (Scopus)

ISBN

[9780735408753]

Publication Title

Aip Conference Proceedings

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3544321

e-ISSN

15517616

ISSN

0094243X

First Page

166

Last Page

173

Volume

1320

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS