Study On Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence And Its Astrophysical Applications

Study on Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence and Its Astrophysical Applications

Turbulence and magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Universe. Their importance to astronomy cannot be overestimated. The theoretical advancements in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence achieved during the past two decades have significantly influenced many fields of astronomy. This book provides predictive theories of the magnetic field generation by turbulence and the dissipation of MHD turbulence. These fundamental non-linear problems were believed to be tractable only numerically. This book provides complete analytical descriptions in quantitative agreement with existing numerics, as well as theoretical predictions in physical regimes still unreachable by simulations, and explanations of various related observations. It also discusses and promotes the astrophysical applications of MHD turbulence theories, including (i) the particle acceleration and radiation in high-energy phenomena, e.g., Gamma-Ray Bursts, supernova remnants, cosmic rays; (ii) interstellar density fluctuations and the effect on observations, e.g., Faraday rotation, scattering measurements of Galactic and extragalactic radio sources; (iii) density and magnetic field structure in molecular clouds toward star formation. In closing, this book demonstrates the key role of MHD turbulence in connecting diverse astrophysical processes and unraveling long-standing astrophysical problems, as foreseen by Chandrasekhar, a founder of modern astrophysics.

Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

This book presents an introduction to, and modern account of, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, an active field both in general turbulence theory and in various areas of astrophysics. The book starts by introducing the MHD equations, certain useful approximations and the transition to turbulence. The second part of the book covers incompressible MHD turbulence, the macroscopic aspects connected with the different self-organization processes, the phenomenology of the turbulence spectra, two-point closure theory, and intermittency. The third considers two-dimensional turbulence and compressible (in particular, supersonic) turbulence. Because of the similarities in the theoretical approach, these chapters start with a brief account of the corresponding methods developed in hydrodynamic turbulence. The final part of the book is devoted to astrophysical applications: turbulence in the solar wind, in accretion disks, and in the interstellar medium. This book is suitable for graduate students and researchers working in turbulence theory, plasma physics and astrophysics.

An Analytical Study of Turbulent Magnetohydrodynamic Channel Flow