Multifractal analysis of high resolution solar wind proton density measurements
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The solar wind is a highly turbulent medium, with a high level of field fluctuations throughout a broad range of scales. These include an inertial range where a turbulent cascade is assumed to be active. The solar wind cascade shows intermittency, which however may depend on the wind conditions. Recent observations have shown that ion-scale magnetic turbulence is almost self-similar, rather than intermittent. A similar result was observed for the high resolution measurements of proton density provided by the spacecraft Spektr-R. Intermittency may be interpreted as the result of the multifractal properties of the turbulent cascade. In this perspective, this paper is devoted to the description of the multifractal properties of the high resolution density measurements. In particular, we have used the standard coarse-graining technique to evaluate the generalized dimensions Dq, and from these the multifractal spectrum f(α), in two ranges of scale. A fit with the p-model for intermittency provided a quantitative measure of multifractality. Such indicator was then compared with alternative measures: the width of the multifractal spectrum, the peak of the kurtosis, and its scaling exponent. The results indicate that the small-scale fluctuations are multifractal, and suggest that different measures of intermittency are required to fully understand the small scale cascade.
Date Issued
2016-12-27
Date Acceptance
2016-12-17
Citation
Advances in Space Research, 2016, 59 (6), pp.1642-1651
ISSN
0273-1177
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
1642
End Page
1651
Journal / Book Title
Advances in Space Research
Volume
59
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2016, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Grant Number
ST/N003748/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Geology
Solar wind
Turbulence
Multifractal
FULLY-DEVELOPED TURBULENCE
FIELD STRENGTH FLUCTUATIONS
MAGNETIC-FIELD
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE
PARAMETRIC-INSTABILITY
NONLINEAR EVOLUTION
INTERMITTENCY
PLASMA
SPECTRUM
AU
Aerospace & Aeronautics
0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences
0901 Aerospace Engineering
0913 Mechanical Engineering
Publication Status
Published