Compressible turbulence in Hall Magnetohydrodynamics

• By direct numerical simulations we investigate the nonlinear dynamics of a compressible Hall Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) plasma. At small scales, where the Hall effect dominates, we found an increase of the compressibility of the system and the breakdown of the strong link between velocity and magnetic fields, typical of usual MHD. Moreover, we find that small-scale fluctuations are characterized by an anti-correlation between density and magnetic field intensity. These features characterize the excitation. of a quasi-perpendicular magnetosonic turbulence that can be interpreted as the small-scale signature of the break-down of the MHD nonlinear energy cascade due to Hall effect. Fluctuations with the same properties, based on measurements by Cluster spacecraft in space plasma turbulence during different magnetopause crossings, have been recently observed.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

space plasma physics

turbulence

interplanetary physics

Magnetohydrodynamics and plasmas

Physics

Fysik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)