27 research outputs found
On the effect of rotation on magnetohydrodynamic turbulence at high magnetic Reynolds number
This article is focused on the dynamics of a rotating electrically conducting
fluid in a turbulent state. As inside the Earth's core or in various industrial
processes, a flow is altered by the presence of both background rotation and a
large scale magnetic field. In this context, we present a set of 3D direct
numerical simulations of incompressible decaying turbulence. We focus on
parameters similar to the ones encountered in geophysical and astrophysical
flows, so that the Rossby number is small, the interaction parameter is large,
but the Elsasser number, defining the ratio between Coriolis and Lorentz
forces, is about unity. These simulations allow to quantify the effect of
rotation and thus inertial waves on the growth of magnetic fluctuations due to
Alfv\'en waves. Rotation prevents the occurrence of equipartition between
kinetic and magnetic energies, with a reduction of magnetic energy at
decreasing Elsasser number {\Lambda}. It also causes a decrease of energy
transfer mediated by cubic correlations. In terms of flow structure, a decrease
of {\Lambda} corresponds to an increase in the misalignment of velocity and
magnetic field.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figure
On the two-dimensionalization of quasistatic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
We analyze the anisotropy of turbulence in an electrically conducting fluid
in the presence of a uniform magnetic field, for low magnetic Reynolds number,
using the quasi-static approximation. In the linear limit, the kinetic energy
of velocity components normal to the magnetic field decays faster than the
kinetic energy of component along the magnetic field [Moffatt, JFM 28, 1967].
However, numerous numerical studies predict a different behaviour, wherein the
final state is characterized by dominant horizontal energy. We investigate the
corresponding nonlinear phenomenon using Direct Numerical Simulations. The
initial temporal evolution of the decaying flow indicates that the turbulence
is very similar to the so-called "two-and-a-half-dimensional" flow [Montgomery
& Turner, Phys. Fluids 25(2), 1982] and we offer an explanation for the
dominance of horizontal kinetic energy.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figure
Quasi-static magnetohydrodynamic turbulence at high Reynolds number
We analyse the anisotropy of homogeneous turbulence in an electrically
conducting fluid submitted to a uniform magnetic field, for low magnetic
Reynolds number, in the quasi- static approximation. We interpret disagreeing
previous predictions between linearized theory and simulations: in the linear
limit, the kinetic energy of transverse velocity components, normal to the
magnetic field, decays faster than the kinetic energy of the axial component,
along the magnetic field (Moffatt (1967)); whereas many numerical studies
predict a final state characterised by dominant energy of transverse velocity
components. We investigate the corresponding nonlinear phenomenon using Direct
Numerical Simulations of freely-decaying turbulence, and a two-point
statistical spectral closure based on the Eddy Damped Quasi-Normal Markovian
model. The transition from the three-dimensional turbulent flow to a
"two-and-a-half-dimensional" flow (Montgomery & Turner (1982)) is a result of
the combined effects of short-time linear Joule dissipation and longer time
nonlinear creation of polarisation anisotropy. It is this combination of linear
and nonlinear effects which explains the disagreement between predictions from
linearized theory and results from numerical simulations. The transition is
characterized by the elongation of turbulent structures along the applied
magnetic field, and by the strong anisotropy of directional two-point
correlation spectra, in agreement with experimental evidence. Inertial
equatorial transfers in both DNS and the model are presented to describe in
detail the most important equilibrium dynamics. Spectral scalings are
maintained in high Reynolds number turbulence attainable only with the EDQNM
model, which also provides simplified modelling of the asymptotic state of
quasi-static MHD turbulence.Comment: Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 201
Third-order statistics and the dynamics of strongly anisotropic turbulent flows
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