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Detailed analytical investigation of magnetic field line random walk in turbulent plasmas: II. Isotropic turbulence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2009

I. KOURAKIS ,
R. C. TAUTZ  and
A. SHALCHI
I. KOURAKIS*
Affiliation:
Centre for Plasma Physics, Queen's UniversityBelfast BT7 1 NN, Northern Ireland, UK (i.kourakis@qub.ac.uk, www.kourakis.eu)
R. C. TAUTZ
Affiliation:
Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany (rct@tp4.rub.de, ate@tp4.rub.de, andreasm4@yahoo.com)
A. SHALCHI
Affiliation:
Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany (rct@tp4.rub.de, ate@tp4.rub.de, andreasm4@yahoo.com)
*
†Work carried out while at: Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.
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Abstract

The random walk of magnetic field lines in the presence of magnetic turbulence in plasmas is investigated from first principles. An isotropic model is employed for the magnetic turbulence spectrum. An analytical investigation of the asymptotic behavior of the field-line mean-square displacement 〈(Δx)2〉 is carried out, in terms of the position variable z. It is shown that 〈(Δx)2〉 varies as ~z ln z for large distance z. This result corresponds to a superdiffusive behavior of field line wandering. This investigation complements previous work, which relied on a two-component model for the turbulence spectrum. Contrary to that model, quasilinear theory appears to provide an adequate description of the field-line random walk for isotropic turbulence.

Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 75 , Issue 2 , April 2009 , pp. 183 - 192
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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