Lecturer: Prof. Sandra C. Chapman (Warwick, UK) Date: 2008-09-25 15:00 Place: Aniara
Observing nature's turbulence laboratory - the solar wind
Prof Sandra C Chapman
Director, CFSA
Physics, Univ. of Warwick, UK
Abstract
The solar wind, with a magnetic Reynolds number estimated to exceed 105,
exhibits a Kolmogorov - like 'inertial range' power law power spectrum over
several decades, and a clear dissipation/dispersion range, in plasma bulk
parameters observed on satellites in situ. Solar wind monitors such as the
WIND and ACE spacecraft provide almost uninterrupted observations on
timescales from minutes to years in the ecliptic at 1AU, ULLYSES has now
made several solar polar passes out of the ecliptic and at higher time
resolution, the CLUSTER spacecraft provide multipoint observations. In this
talk we will discuss the prospects for using the solar wind as a turbulence
laboratory. Can we use solar wind observations to test theoretical
predictions of scaling exponents of MHD turbulence? Can we explore whether
these exponents are universal? What is the role of the driver- the solar
corona- which also shows signatures of scaling, in determining what we see
in the solar wind, and what does this imply for the heating mechanism of the solar wind?
