Journal
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
Volume 109, Issue 25, Pages -Publisher
AMER PHYSICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.255001
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Funding
- NSF [ATM 03-17310, PHY-10033446]
- DOE [DE-FG02-06ER54890]
- NSF CAREER Award [AGS-1054061]
- NASA [NNX10AC91G]
- U. S. Department of Energy
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien
- Division Of Physics [1003346] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Turbulence is a ubiquitous phenomenon in space and astrophysical plasmas, driving a cascade of energy from large to small scales and strongly influencing the plasma heating resulting from the dissipation of the turbulence. Modern theories of plasma turbulence are based on the fundamental concept that the turbulent cascade of energy is caused by the nonlinear interaction between counterpropagating Alfven waves, yet this interaction has never been observationally or experimentally verified. We present here the first experimental measurement in a laboratory plasma of the nonlinear interaction between counterpropagating Alfven waves, the fundamental building block of astrophysical plasma turbulence. This measurement establishes a firm basis for the application of theoretical ideas developed in idealized models to turbulence in realistic space and astrophysical plasma systems. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.255001
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