Developed turbulence and nonlinear amplification of magnetic fields in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas.

Journal article

The visible matter in the universe is turbulent and magnetized. Turbulence in galaxy clusters is produced by mergers and by jets of the central galaxies and believed responsible for the amplification of magnetic fields. We report on experiments looking at the collision of two laser-produced plasma clouds, mimicking, in the laboratory, a cluster merger event. By measuring the spectrum of the density fluctuations, we infer developed, Kolmogorov-like turbulence. From spectral line broadening, we estimate a level of turbulence consistent with turbulent heating balancing radiative cooling, as it likely does in galaxy clusters. We show that the magnetic field is amplified by turbulent motions, reaching a nonlinear regime that is a precursor to turbulent dynamo. Thus, our experiment provides a promising platform for understanding the structure of turbulence and the amplification of magnetic fields in the universe.

Authors: Meinecke, J; Tzeferacos, P; Bell, A; Bingham, R; Clarke, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
• Volume: 112
• Issue: 27
• Pages: 8211-8215
• Publication date: 2015-07-01
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1502079112
• EISSN: 1091-6490
• ISSN: 0027-8424
• Language: English
• Keywords: Temperature; Thermodynamics; Models, Theoretical; Lasers; Spectrum Analysis; Solar System; Computer Simulation; Astronomical Phenomena; Galaxies; Magnetic Fields