Paper detail

The Lagrangian frequency spectrum as a diagnostic for magnetohydrodynamic turbulence dynamics

For the phenomenological description of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence competing models exist, e.g. Boldyrev [Phys.Rev.Lett. \textbf{96}, 115002, 2006] and Gogoberidze [Phys.Plas. \textbf{14}, 022304, 2007], which predict the same Eulerian inertial-range scaling of the turbulent energy spectrum although they employ fundamentally different basic interaction mechanisms. {A relation is found that links} the Lagrangian frequency spectrum {with} the autocorrelation timescale of the turbulent fluctuations, $τ_\mathrm{ac}$, and the associated cascade timescale, $τ_{\mathrm{cas}}$. Thus, the Lagrangian energy spectrum can serve to identify weak ($τ_\mathrm{ac}\llτ_{\mathrm{cas}}$) and strong ($τ_\mathrm{ac}\simτ_{\mathrm{cas}}$) interaction mechanisms providing insight into the turbulent energy cascade. The new approach is illustrated by results from direct numerical simulations of two- and three-dimensional incompressible MHD turbulence.