Two-Loop Calculation of the Anomalous Exponents in the Kazantsev--Kraichnan Model of Magnetic Hydrodynamics

The problem of anomalous scaling in magnetohydrodynamics turbulence is considered within the framework of the kinematic approximation, in the presence of a large-scale background magnetic field. Field theoretic renormalization group methods are applied to the Kazantsev-Kraichnan model of a passive vector advected by the Gaussian velocity field with zero mean and correlation function $\propto \delta(t-t')/k^{d+\epsilon}$. Inertial-range anomalous scaling for the tensor pair correlators is established as a consequence of the existence in the corresponding operator product expansions of certain "dangerous" composite operators, whose negative critical dimensions determine the anomalous exponents. The main technical result is the calculation of the anomalous exponents in the order $\epsilon^2$ of the $\epsilon$ expansion (two-loop approximation).Comment: Presented in the Conference "Mathematical Modeling and Computational Physics" (Stara Lesna, Slovakia, July 2011

Anomalous scaling in two and three dimensions for a passive vector field advected by a turbulent flow

A model of the passive vector field advected by the uncorrelated in time Gaussian velocity with power-like covariance is studied by means of the renormalization group and the operator product expansion. The structure functions of the admixture demonstrate essential power-like dependence on the external scale in the inertial range (the case of an anomalous scaling). The method of finding of independent tensor invariants in the cases of two and three dimensions is proposed to eliminate linear dependencies between the operators entering into the operator product expansions of the structure functions. The constructed operator bases, which include the powers of the dissipation operator and the enstrophy operator, provide the possibility to calculate the exponents of the anomalous scaling.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX2e(iopart.sty), submitted to J. Phys. A: Math. Ge

Symmetry Breaking in Stochastic Dynamics and Turbulence

Symmetries play paramount roles in dynamics of physical systems. All theories of quantum physics and microworld including the fundamental Standard Model are constructed on the basis of symmetry principles. In classical physics, the importance and weight of these principles are the same as in quantum physics: dynamics of complex nonlinear statistical systems is straightforwardly dictated by their symmetry or its breaking, as we demonstrate on the example of developed (magneto)hydrodynamic turbulence and the related theoretical models. To simplify the problem, unbounded models are commonly used. However, turbulence is a mesoscopic phenomenon and the size of the system must be taken into account. It turns out that influence of outer length of turbulence is significant and can lead to intermittency. More precisely, we analyze the connection of phenomena such as behavior of statistical correlations of observable quantities, anomalous scaling, and generation of magnetic field by hydrodynamic fluctuations with symmetries such as Galilean symmetry, isotropy, spatial parity and their violation and finite size of the system

Symmetry and Mesoscopic Physics

Symmetry is one of the most important notions in natural science; it lies at the heart of fundamental laws of nature and serves as an important tool for understanding the properties of complex systems, both classical and quantum. Another trend, which has in recent years undergone intensive development, is mesoscopic physics. This branch of physics also combines classical and quantum ideas and methods. Two main directions can be distinguished in mesoscopic physics. One is the study of finite quantum systems of mesoscopic sizes. Such systems, which are between the atomic and macroscopic scales, exhibit a variety of novel phenomena and find numerous applications in creating modern electronic and spintronic devices. At the same time, the behavior of large systems can be influenced by mesoscopic effects, which provides another direction within the framework of mesoscopic physics. The aim of the present book is to emphasize the phenomena that lie at the crossroads between the concept of symmetry and mesoscopic physics

Fast Magnetic Reconnection and Spontaneous Stochasticity

Magnetic field-lines in astrophysical plasmas are expected to be frozen-in at scales larger than the ion gyroradius. The rapid reconnection of magnetic flux structures with dimensions vastly larger than the gyroradius requires a breakdown in the standard Alfv\'en flux-freezing law. We attribute this breakdown to ubiquitous MHD plasma turbulence with power-law scaling ranges of velocity and magnetic energy spectra. Lagrangian particle trajectories in such environments become "spontaneously stochastic", so that infinitely-many magnetic field-lines are advected to each point and must be averaged to obtain the resultant magnetic field. The relative distance between initial magnetic field lines which arrive to the same final point depends upon the properties of two-particle turbulent dispersion. We develop predictions based on the phenomenological Goldreich & Sridhar theory of strong MHD turbulence and on weak MHD turbulence theory. We recover the predictions of the Lazarian & Vishniac theory for the reconnection rate of large-scale magnetic structures. Lazarian & Vishniac also invoked "spontaneous stochasticity", but of the field-lines rather than of the Lagrangian trajectories. More recent theories of fast magnetic reconnection appeal to microscopic plasma processes that lead to additional terms in the generalized Ohm's law, such as the collisionless Hall term. We estimate quantitatively the effect of such processes on the inertial-range turbulence dynamics and find them to be negligible in most astrophysical environments. For example, the predictions of the Lazarian-Vishniac theory are unchanged in Hall MHD turbulence with an extended inertial range, whenever the ion skin depth $\delta_i$ is much smaller than the turbulent integral length or injection-scale $L_i.$Comment: 31 pages, 5 figure

Astrophysical magnetic fields and nonlinear dynamo theory

The current understanding of astrophysical magnetic fields is reviewed, focusing on their generation and maintenance by turbulence. In the astrophysical context this generation is usually explained by a self-excited dynamo, which involves flows that can amplify a weak 'seed' magnetic field exponentially fast. Particular emphasis is placed on the nonlinear saturation of the dynamo. Analytic and numerical results are discussed both for small scale dynamos, which are completely isotropic, and for large scale dynamos, where some form of parity breaking is crucial. Central to the discussion of large scale dynamos is the so-called alpha effect which explains the generation of a mean field if the turbulence lacks mirror symmetry, i.e. if the flow has kinetic helicity. Large scale dynamos produce small scale helical fields as a waste product that quench the large scale dynamo and hence the alpha effect. With this in mind, the microscopic theory of the alpha effect is revisited in full detail and recent results for the loss of helical magnetic fields are reviewed.Comment: 285 pages, 72 figures, accepted by Phys. Re