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Kinetic helicity and MHD turbulence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2000

SEAN OUGHTON  and
ROSSELLA PRANDI
SEAN OUGHTON
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
ROSSELLA PRANDI
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Extract

The issue of dynamical anisotropy in helical three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence with a mean magnetic field B0 is investigated. Using high-resolution direct numerical simulations, we follow the evolution of various isotropic initial states characterized by their different values of the kinetic helicity. The cross helicity and magnetic helicity of the initial conditions are also varied. In agreement with earlier work, we find that such initial states become anisotropic in of order an eddy-turnover time, with correlation lengths parallel to B0 remaining largely unchanged while finer scales are excited in the perpendicular directions. Moreover, it is found that the development of both the anisotropy and the energy are essentially independent of the initial level of kinetic helicity. The physics associated with this latter feature is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 64 , Issue 2 , August 2000 , pp. 179 - 193
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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