Power and Spectral Index Anisotropy of the Entire Inertial Range of Turbulence in the Fast Solar Wind
File(s)Power and spectral index.pdf (557.97 KB)
Published version
Author(s)
Wicks, RT
Horbury, TS
Chen, CHK
Schekochihin, AA
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We measure the power and spectral index anisotropy of magnetic field fluctuations in fast solar wind turbulence from scales larger than the outer scale down to the ion gyroscale, thus covering the entire inertial range. We show that the power and spectral indices above the outer scale of turbulence are approximately isotropic. The turbulent cascade causes the power anisotropy at smaller scales manifested by anisotropic scalings of the spectrum: close to k−5/3 across and k−2 along the local magnetic field, consistent with a critically balanced Alfvénic turbulence. By using data at different radial distances from the Sun and calculating the radial dependence of the ratio of the outer scale to the ion gyroscale, we show that the width of the inertial range does not change with heliocentric distance. At the smallest scales of the inertial range, close to the ion gyroscale, we find an enhancement of power parallel to the magnetic field direction coincident with a decrease in the perpendicular power. This is most likely related to energy injection by ion kinetic modes such as the firehose instability and also marks the beginning of the kinetic range, sometimes called the dissipation range, of solar wind turbulence.
Date Issued
2010-09-01
Citation
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2010, 407 (1), pp.L31-L35
ISSN
0035-8711
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
L31
End Page
L35
Journal / Book Title
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume
407
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 RAS. This article has been accepted for publication in MINRAS Letters. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Description
12.12.13 KB. Ok to add the published version to spiral. RAS/ OUP policy,
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=000281140900060&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
instabilities
MHD
plasmas
turbulence
solar wind
MAGNETIC-FIELD
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE
ALFVENIC TURBULENCE
MHD TURBULENCE
EVOLUTION
FLUCTUATIONS
DEPENDENCE
AU
Publication Status
Published