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Hnat et al. 2002
Hnat, B., Chapman, S.C., Rowlands, G., Watkins, N.W. and Farrell, W.M. (2002). Finite size scaling in the solar wind magnetic field energy density as seen by WIND. Geophysical Research Letters 29: doi: 10.1029/2001GL014587. issn: 0094-8276.

Statistical properties of the interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations can provide an important insight into the solar wind turbulent cascade. Recently, analysis of the Probability Density Functions (PDF) of the velocity and magnetic field fluctuations has shown that these exhibit non-Gaussian properties on small time scales while large scale features appear to be uncorrelated. Here we apply the finite size scaling technique to explore the scaling of the magnetic field energy density fluctuations as seen by WIND. We find a single scaling sufficient to collapse the curves over the entire investigated range. The rescaled PDF follow a non Gaussian distribution with asymptotic behavior well described by the Gamma distribution arising from a finite range L¿vy walk. Such mono scaling suggests that a Fokker-Planck approach can be applied to study the PDF dynamics. These results strongly suggest the existence of a common, nonlinear process on the time scale up to 26 hours.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Space Plasma Physics, Turbulence, Interplanetary Physics, Solar wind plasma, Mathematical Geophysics, Fractals and multifractals, Interplanetary Physics, MHD waves and turbulence, Space Plasma Physics, Experimental and mathematical techniques
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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