Abstract
Abstract Compressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is a common feature of astrophysical systems such as the solar atmosphere and interstellar medium. Such systems are rife with shock waves that can redistribute and dissipate energy. For an MHD system, three broad categories of shocks exist (slow, fast, and intermediate); however, the occurrence rates of each shock type are not known for turbulent systems. Here, we present a method for detecting and classifying the full range of MHD shocks applied to the Orszag–Tang vortex. Our results show that the system is dominated by fast and slow shocks, with far less-frequent intermediate shocks appearing most readily near magnetic reconnection sites. We present a potential mechanism that could lead to the formation of intermediate shocks in MHD systems, and study the coherency and abundances of shocks in compressible MHD turbulence.
Highlights
Many astrophysical systems are both highly compressible and turbulent, for example, the solar atmosphere (Carlsson & Stein, 1992; Houston et al, 2020; Reardon et al, 2008; Ulmschneider, 1970) and interstellar medium (Draine et al, 1983; Elmegreen & Scalo, 2004)
Intermediate shocks are detected in the simulation; these are far less-frequent and appear later than the fast or slow shocks
The developed method for identifying shocks in MHD systems detects the full range of MHD shocks in the OT vortex
Summary
Many astrophysical systems are both highly compressible and turbulent, for example, the solar atmosphere (Carlsson & Stein, 1992; Houston et al, 2020; Reardon et al, 2008; Ulmschneider, 1970) and interstellar medium (Draine et al, 1983; Elmegreen & Scalo, 2004). Significant work has been performed to analyze the fast and slow shocks in turbulent systems (e.g., Komissarov, 2012; Orta et al, 2003; Park & Ryu, 2019); intermediate shocks are far less studied, and their existence has been somewhat controversial in the past (Karimabadi, 1995; Wu, 1988). These shock jumps are fully permitted by MHD equations (Hau & Sonnerup, 1989) and have recently been observed in the solar chromosphere (Houston et al, 2020). Previous studies have suggested that intermediate shocks may be related to magnetic reconnection (La Belle-Hamer et al, 1994; Ugai & Shimizu, 1994)
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