Biomedical subjects

Stanislav Boldyrev

Publications and source records attributed to Stanislav Boldyrev.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Spectrum of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence.

We propose a phenomenological theory of strong incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the presence of a strong large-scale external magnetic field. We argue that in the inertial range of scales, magnetic-field and velocity-field fluctuations tend to align the directions of their polarizations. However, the perfect alignment cannot be reached; it is precluded by the presence of a constant energy flux over scales. As a consequence, the directions of shear-Alfvén fluid and magnetic-field fluctuations at each scale lambda become effectively aligned within the angle phi(lambda) proportional to lambda (1/4), which leads to scale-dependent depletion of the nonlinear interaction and to the field-perpendicular energy spectrum E(k(perpendicular)) proportional to k(perpendicular)(-3/2). Our results may be universal, i.e., independent of the external magnetic field, since small-scale fluctuations locally experience a strong field produced by large-scale eddies.

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PubMed2005

Magnetic-field generation in helical turbulence.

We investigate analytically the amplification of a weak magnetic field in a homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flow lacking reflectional symmetry (helical turbulence). We propose that the spectral distributions of magnetic energy and magnetic helicity can be found as eigenmodes of a self-adjoint, Schrödinger-type system of evolution equations. We argue that large-scale and small-scale magnetic fluctuations cannot be effectively separated, and that the conventional model alpha is, in general, not an adequate description of the large-scale dynamo mechanism. As a consequence, the correct numerical modeling of such processes should resolve magnetic fluctuations down to the very small, resistive scales.

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PubMed2004

Velocity and velocity-difference distributions in Burgers turbulence.

We consider the one-dimensional Burgers equation randomly stirred at large scales by a Gaussian short-time correlated force. Using the method of dissipative anomalies, we obtain velocity and velocity-difference probability density functions and confirm the results with high-resolution numerical simulations.

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PubMed2004

Structure function scaling in compressible super-Alfvénic MHD turbulence.

Supersonic turbulent flows of magnetized gas are believed to play an important role in the dynamics of star-forming clouds in galaxies. Understanding statistical properties of such flows is crucial for developing a theory of star formation. In this Letter we propose a unified approach for obtaining the velocity scaling in compressible and super-Alfvénic turbulence, valid for the arbitrary sonic Mach number, M(S). We demonstrate with numerical simulations that the scaling can be described with the She-Lévêque formalism, where only one parameter, interpreted as the Hausdorff dimension of the most intense dissipative structures, needs to be varied as a function of M(S). Our results thus provide a method for obtaining the velocity scaling in interstellar clouds once their Mach numbers have been inferred from observations.

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PubMed2004

Magnetic-field generation in Kolmogorov turbulence.

We analyze the initial, kinematic stage of magnetic field evolution in an isotropic and homogeneous turbulent conducting fluid with a rough velocity field, v(l) approximately l(alpha), alpha<1. This regime is relevant to the problem of magnetic field generation in fluids with small magnetic Prandtl number, i.e., with Ohmic resistivity much larger than viscosity. We propose that the smaller the roughness exponent alpha, the larger the magnetic Reynolds number that is needed to excite magnetic fluctuations. This implies that numerical or experimental investigations of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence with small Prandtl numbers need to achieve extremely high resolution in order to describe magnetic phenomena adequately.

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PubMed2003

Lévy model for interstellar scintillations.

Observations of radio signals from distant pulsars provide a valuable tool for investigation of interstellar turbulence. The time shapes of the signals are the result of pulse broadening by the fluctuating electron density in the interstellar medium. While the scaling of the shapes with the signal frequency is well understood, the observed anomalous scaling with respect to the pulsar distance has remained a puzzle for more than 30 years. We propose a new model for interstellar electron density fluctuations, which explains the observed scaling relations. We suggest that these fluctuations obey Lévy statistics rather than Gaussian statistics, as assumed in previous treatments of interstellar scintillations.

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PubMed2002

Supersonic turbulence and structure of interstellar molecular clouds.

The interstellar medium provides a unique laboratory for highly supersonic, driven hydrodynamic turbulence. We propose a theory of such turbulence, test it by numerical simulations, and use the results to explain observational scaling properties of interstellar molecular clouds, the regions where stars are born.

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