The unsolved problem of solar-wind turbulence

Abstract

The solar wind forms the largest wind tunnel for plasma and magnetofluid turbulence that is accessible to Earth. It evolves from what is thought to be a turbulent source that continues to drive nonlinear turbulent dynamics as it expands outward via large-scale, energy-containing wind shear and shocks. In the outer heliosphere, once the gradients in the flow have coalesced and they no longer provide an adequate source for the turbulence, the excitation of wave energy by the injection of interstellar pickup ions becomes the dominant source of energy that continues to drive the turbulence. While there are established formalisms for the determination of the strength of the turbulence and the evolution of the turbulent spectra is well-established, the actual nonlinear dynamics that are responsible for its formation and evolution remain unresolved and the subject of considerable debate. We examine the evidence and attempt to illuminate the various theories while demonstrating what is needed to resolve the debates and bring the subject of plasma turbulence into a new level of understanding.