Accession Number:

AD0288927

Title:

A SIMPLIFIED THEORY OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC ISOTROPIC TURBULENCE

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

SPACE SYSTEMS DIV LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE STATION CALIF

Personal Author(s):

• BETCHOV,R.

Report Date:

1962-10-11

Pagination or Media Count:

1.0

Abstract:

The simplest case of turbulent motion in a conductive fluid is studied. The turbulence is assumed incompressible, isotropic, homogeneous, charge invariant and free of fourth-order cumulants. The emphasis is placed on certain integrals of the correlation functions such as kinetic and magnetic energy, vorticity, and current. A system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is derived which governs these integral quantities. Several cases are solved numerically, illustrating the decay of ordinary turbulence, the buildup of magnetic energy by a linear or a nonlinear process, the buildup of kinetic energy, as well as the destruction of vorticity by Lorentz forces. In order to handle certain dissipative effects, a special hypothesis is introduced which seems to promote mathematical simplicity. In particular, it leads to a simple decay law very similar to the decay law of ordinary turbulence. Author

Descriptors:

• *MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
• *TURBULENCE
• CONVECTION
• DEGRADATION
• DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
• ENERGY
• KINETIC THEORY
• MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
• MOTION
• VORTICES

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE