Compressible Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in Interstellar Plasmas

2001/06/22 by Yoram Lithwick, Peter Goldreich · 31 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/323470

published as ApJ, 562, 279 (2001) · 19 pages, 2 figures, submitted to ApJ

arxiv created 2001/06/22 · openalex publication_date 2001/11/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2017/04/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

Radio wave scintillation observations reveal a nearly Kolmogorov spectrum of density fluctuations in the ionized interstellar medium. Although this density spectrum is suggestive of turbulence, no theory relevant to its interpretation exists. We calculate the density spectrum in turbulent magnetized plasmas by extending the theory of incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence given by Goldreich & Sridhar to include the effects of compressibility and particle transport. Our most important results are as follows:

Citations

• Physical Processes in the Interstellar Medium

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