Time decorrelation in isotropic magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

Abstract

Time decorrelation in isotropic incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is studied using three-dimensional numerical simulation. Eulerian and wavenumber-dependent correlation functions are obtained. Scaling with wavenumber separates effects of nonlinear distortion and effects of random sweeping and Alfvénic wave propagation. Results show that the dominant effect is the combined influence of convective sweeping and Alfvénic propagation, both being nonlocal effects on small-scale fluctuations by large-scale fluctuations. This conclusion finds applications in space plasma observation, particle scattering, predictability, and turbulence theory. © Europhysics Letters Association.