Eigenanalysis of Ideal Hall MHD Turbulence

Ideal, incompressible, homogeneous, Hall magnetohydrodynamic (HMHD) turbulence may be investigated through a Fourier spectral method. In three-dimensional periodic geometry, the independent Fourier coefficients represent a canonical ensemble described by a Gaussian probability density. The canonical ensemble is based on the conservation of three invariants: total energy, generalized helicity, and magnetic helicity. Generalized helicity in HMHD takes the place of cross helicity in MHD. The invariants determine the modal probability density giving the spectral structure and equilibrium statistics of ideal HMHD, which are compared to known MHD results. New results in absolute equilibrium ensemble theory are derived using a novel approach that involves finding the eigenvalues of a Hermitian covariance matrix for each modal probability density. The associated eigenvectors transform the original phase space variables into eigenvariables through a special unitary transformation. These are the normal modes which facilitate the analysis of ideal HMHD non-linear dynamics. The eigenanalysis predicts that the low wavenumber modes with very small eigenvalues may have mean values that are large compared to their standard deviations, contrary to the ideal ensemble prediction of zero mean values. (Expectation values may also be relatively large at the highest wave numbers, but the addition of even small levels of dissipation removes any relevance this may have for real-world turbulence.) This behavior is non-ergodic over very long times for a numerical simulation and is termed 'broken ergodicity'. For fixed values of the ideal invariants, the effect is seen to be enhanced with increased numerical grid size. Broken ergodicity at low wave number modes gives rise to large-scale, quasi-stationary, coherent structure. Physically, this corresponds to plasma relaxation to force-free states. For real HMHD turbulence with dissipation, broken ergodicity and coherent structure are still expected to occur at low wave numbers, i.e. largest scales, where dissipation is least. We will discuss the relevant eigenanalysis and present numerical examples.