224 research outputs found
Magnetic field reversals and long-time memory in conducting flows
Employing a simple ideal magnetohydrodynamic model in spherical geometry,we
show that the presence of either rotation or finite magnetic helicity is
sufficient to induce dynamical reversals of the magnetic dipole moment. The
statistical character of the model is similar to that of terrestrial magnetic
field reversals, with the similarity being stronger when rotation is
present.The connection between long time correlations, noise, and
statistics of reversals is supported, consistent with earlier suggestions.Comment: accepted in Physical Review
Test-particle acceleration in a hierarchical three-dimensional turbulence model
The acceleration of charged particles is relevant to the solar corona over a
broad range of scales and energies. High-energy particles are usually detected
in concomitance with large energy release events like solar eruptions and
flares, nevertheless acceleration can occur at smaller scales, characterized by
dynamical activity near current sheets. To gain insight into the complex
scenario of coronal charged particle acceleration, we investigate the
properties of acceleration with a test-particle approach using
three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models. These are obtained from
direct solutions of the reduced MHD equations, well suited for a plasma
embedded in a strong axial magnetic field, relevant to the inner heliosphere. A
multi-box, multi-scale technique is used to solve the equations of motion for
protons. This method allows us to resolve an extended range of scales present
in the system, namely from the ion inertial scale of the order of a meter up to
macroscopic scales of the order of km (th of the outer scale of
the system). This new technique is useful to identify the mechanisms that,
acting at different scales, are responsible for acceleration to high energies
of a small fraction of the particles in the coronal plasma. We report results
that describe acceleration at different stages over a broad range of time,
length and energy scales.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, ApJ (in press
Hall-MHD small-scale dynamos
Much of the progress in our understanding of dynamo mechanisms has been made
within the theoretical framework of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). However, for
sufficiently diffuse media, the Hall effect eventually becomes non-negligible.
We present results from three dimensional simulations of the Hall-MHD equations
subjected to random non-helical forcing. We study the role of the Hall effect
in the dynamo efficiency for different values of the Hall parameter, using a
pseudospectral code to achieve exponentially fast convergence. We also study
energy transfer rates among spatial scales to determine the relative importance
of the various nonlinear effects in the dynamo process and in the energy
cascade. The Hall effect produces a reduction of the direct energy cascade at
scales larger than the Hall scale, and therefore leads to smaller energy
dissipation rates. Finally, we present results stemming from simulations at
large magnetic Prandtl numbers, which is the relevant regime in hot and diffuse
media such a the interstellar medium.Comment: 11 pages and 11 figure
Efficient spin control in high-quality-factor planar micro-cavities
A semiconductor microcavity embedding donor impurities and excited by a laser
field is modelled. By including general decay and dephasing processes, and in
particular cavity photon leakage, detailed simulations show that control over
the spin dynamics is significally enhanced in high-quality-factor cavities, in
which case picosecond laser pulses may produce spin-flip with high-fidelity
final states.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Rapid directional alignment of velocity and magnetic field in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
We show that local directional alignment of the velocity and magnetic field
fluctuations occurs rapidly in magnetohydrodynamics for a variety of
parameters. This is observed both in direct numerical simulations and in solar
wind data. The phenomenon is due to an alignment between the magnetic field and
either pressure gradients or shear-associated kinetic energy gradients. A
similar alignment, of velocity and vorticity, occurs in the Navier Stokes fluid
case. This may be the most rapid and robust relaxation process in turbulent
flows, and leads to a local weakening of the nonlinear terms in the small scale
vorticity and current structures where alignment takes place.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure
Apparent suppression of turbulent magnetic dynamo action by a dc magnetic field
Numerical studies of the effect of a dc magnetic field on dynamo action
(development of magnetic fields with large spatial scales), due to
helically-driven magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, are reported. The apparent
effect of the dc magnetic field is to suppress the dynamo action, above a
relatively low threshold. However, the possibility that the suppression results
from an improper combination of rectangular triply spatially-periodic boundary
conditions and a uniform dc magnetic field is addressed: heretofore a common
and convenient computational convention in turbulence investigations. Physical
reasons for the observed suppression are suggested. Other geometries and
boundary conditions are offered for which the dynamo action is expected not to
be suppressed by the presence of a dc magnetic field component.Comment: To appear in Physics of Plasma
Statistical properties of solar wind discontinuities, intermittent turbulence, and rapid emergence of non-Gaussian distributions
Recent studies have compared properties of the magnetic field in simulations of Hall MHD turbulence with spacecraft data, focusing on methods used to identify classical discontinuities and intermittency statistics. Comparison of ACE solar wind data and simulations of 2D and 3D turbulence shows good agreement in waiting‐time analysis of magnetic discontinuities, and in the related distribution of magnetic field increments. This supports the idea that the magnetic structures in the solar wind may emerge fast and locally from nonlinear dynamics that can be understood in the framework of nonlinear MHD theory. The analysis suggests that small scale current sheets form spontaneously and rapidly enough that some of the observed solar wind discontinuities may be locally generated, representing boundaries between interacting flux tubes
A turbulence-driven model for heating and acceleration of the fast wind in coronal holes
A model is presented for generation of fast solar wind in coronal holes,
relying on heating that is dominated by turbulent dissipation of MHD
fluctuations transported upwards in the solar atmosphere. Scale-separated
transport equations include large-scale fields, transverse Alfvenic
fluctuations, and a small compressive dissipation due to parallel shears near
the transition region. The model accounts for proton temperature, density, wind
speed, and fluctuation amplitude as observed in remote sensing and in situ
satellite data.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ
Energy spectrum of turbulent fluctuations in boundary driven reduced magnetohydrodynamics
The nonlinear dynamics of a bundle of magnetic flux ropes driven by
stationary fluid motions at their endpoints is studied, by performing numerical
simulations of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations. The development of MHD
turbulence is shown, where the system reaches a state that is characterized by
the ratio between the Alfven time (the time for incompressible MHD waves to
travel along the field lines) and the convective time scale of the driving
motions. This ratio of time scales determines the energy spectra and the
relaxation toward different regimes ranging from weak to strong turbulence. A
connection is made with phenomenological theories for the energy spectra in MHD
turbulence.Comment: Published in Physics of Plasma
- …