Authors
Gregory L Eyink, Alex Lazarian, Ethan T Vishniac
Publication date
2011/11/22
Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume
743
Issue
1
Pages
51
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Description
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 Alfvén 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 at 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 …
Total citations
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Scholar articles
GL Eyink, A Lazarian, ET Vishniac - The Astrophysical Journal, 2011