| Issue |
A&A
Volume 531, July 2011
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | A170 | |
| Number of page(s) | 4 | |
| Section | Astrophysical processes | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201117063 | |
| Published online | 08 July 2011 | |
The role of magnetic helicity for field line diffusion and drift
1
Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany
e-mail: rct@gmx.eu
2
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät III, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle, 06099 Halle, Germany
e-mail: lercheian@yahoo.com
Received: 11 April 2011
Accepted: 8 June 2011
Aims. This paper discusses the systematic drift of magnetic field lines under the influence of asymmetric turbulence where the asymmetry is caused by Alfvén wave helicity.
Methods. The basic method of investigation is numerically tracing random magnetic field lines to discuss the average displacement of field lines owing to the asymmetric turbulence.
Results. The main result is that as long as one has any non-zero degree of asymmetric turbulence, there is a systematic drift of field lines on average; an effect not seen when the turbulence is taken to be symmetric. This result implies that diffusion of field lines takes place relative to the mean drift and so alters the consequences for discussions of field line diffusion.
Key words: plasmas / magnetic fields / turbulence / waves
© ESO, 2011
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.