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Non‐WKB evolution of solar wind fluctuations: A turbulence modeling approach
Author(s) -
Zhou Ye,
Matthaeus William H.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl016i007p00755
Subject(s) - wkb approximation , physics , turbulence , solar wind , scale (ratio) , range (aeronautics) , nonlinear system , statistical physics , classical mechanics , geophysics , computational physics , mechanics , magnetic field , quantum mechanics , materials science , composite material
Recent observations indicate systematic changes in the interplanetary inertial range velocity‐magnetic field correlation with increasing heliocentric distance. Here, we outline a multiple length scale model for the evolution of the small scale fluctuations due to local nonlinear couplings as well as couplings to large scale gradients, an approach similar to that used in turbulence modeling of inhomogeneous shear flows. A simple special case solution is given, indicating that couplings to large scale flow gradients can cause radial evolution of the type seen in observations. The strongest couplings of this type are linear and do not appear in the usual WKB orderings. The relationship of our approach to WKB theory is not fully understood at present.