Effects of flow shear and Alfv́n waves on two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

Jamie Douglas, Eun Jin Kim, A. Thyagaraja

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The suppression of turbulent transport by large scale mean shear flows and uniform magnetic fields is investigated in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence driven by a small-scale forcing with finite correlation time. By numerical integration the turbulent magnetic diffusivity DT is shown to be significantly quenched, with a scaling DT B-2 0 -54, which is much more severe than in the case of a short or delta correlated forcing typified by white noise, studied in E. Kim and B. Dubrulle [Phys. Plasmas 8, 813 (2001)]. Here B and 0 are magnetic field strength and flow shear rate, respectively. The forcing with finite correlation time also leads to much stronger suppression of momentum transport through the cancellation of the Reynolds stress by the Maxwell stress with a positive small value of turbulent viscosity, T 0. While fluctuating kinetic and magnetic energies are unaffected by the magnetic field just as in the case of a delta correlated forcing, they are much more severely quenched by flow shear than in that of a delta correlated forcing. Underlying physical mechanisms for the reduction of turbulent transport and turbulence level by flow shear and magnetic field are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Article number052301
JournalPhysics of Plasmas
Volume15
Issue number5
Early online date15 May 2008
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 May 2008
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Condensed Matter Physics

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