Weak Compressible Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in the Solar Corona
Abstract
This Letter presents a calculation of the power spectra of weakly turbulent Alfvén waves and fast magnetosonic waves (“fast waves”) in low-β plasmas. It is shown that three-wave interactions transfer energy to high-frequency fast waves and, to a lesser extent, high-frequency Alfvén waves. High-frequency waves produced by MHD turbulence are a promising explanation for the anisotropic heating of minor ions in the solar corona.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- December 2005
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0511586
- Bibcode:
- 2005PhRvL..95z5004C
- Keywords:
-
- 52.35.Bj;
- 52.35.Ra;
- 96.60.Pb;
- 96.60.Rd;
- Magnetohydrodynamic waves;
- Plasma turbulence;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted, Phys. Rev. Lett