Minimal flow units for magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

Abstract

We present direct numerical simulations of two minimal flow units (MFUs) to investigate the differences between inviscid and viscous simulations, and the different behavior of the evolution for conducting fluids. In these circumstances the introduction of the Lorentz force in the momentum equation produces different scenarios. The Taylor–Green vortex, in the past, was an MFU widely considered for both conducting and non-conducting fluids. The simulations were performed by pseudo-spectral numerical methods; these are repeated here by using a finite difference second-order accurate, energy-conserving scheme for . Having observed that this initial condition could be inefficient for capturing the eventual occurrence of a finite time singularity a potentially more efficient MFU consisting of two interacting Lamb dipoles was considered. It was found that the two flows have a different time evolution in the vortical dominated stage. In this stage, turbulent structures of different size are generated leading to spectra, in the inviscid conditions, with a range. In real conditions the viscosity produces smaller scales characteristic of fully developed turbulence with energy spectra with well defined exponential and inertial ranges. In the presence of non-conducting conditions the passive vector behaves as the vorticity. The evolution is different in the presence of conducting conditions. Although the time evolution is different, both flows lead to spectra in Kolmogorov units with the same shape at high and intermediate wave numbers.