Variable Energy Fluxes and Exact Relations in Magnetohydrodynamics Turbulence

Abstract

In magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), there is a transfer of energy from the velocity field to the magnetic field in the inertial range itself. As a result, the inertial-range energy fluxes of velocity and magnetic fields exhibit significant variations. Still, these variable energy fluxes satisfy several exact relations due to conservation of energy. In this paper, using numerical simulations, we quantify the variable energy fluxes of MHD turbulence, as well as verify several exact relations. We also study the energy fluxes of Elsässer variables that are constant in the inertial range.

Keywords

• MHD turbulence
• energy flux
• variable energy flux
• direct numerical simulation
• exact relations
• energy spectrum