HR: 15:10h
AN: SH13B-07    [Abstracts]
TI: MHD Simulation of the Random Walk of Heliospheric Magnetic Field Lines
AU: * Goldstein, M L
EM: melvyn.l.goldstein@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 612.2, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Roberts, D A
EM: melvyn.l.goldstein@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 612.2, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AB: We have previously shown that heliospheric magnetic field lines do not diffuse in the presence of simple Alfvénic fluctuations, but that they do when microstreams are added to the inflow boundary conditions. It has also been shown that imposing quasi-two-dimensional input conditions or random footpoint motion leads to significant diffusion. Here we will explore the relative role of various sources of diffusion, including, in addition to the above, transverse inhomogeneity in an Alfvén wave source. In general, we find that the essential ingredient for diffusion is, as expected, a transverse gradient of an appropriate scale; here we will systematically vary the nature and amplitude of the inhomogeneous terms to determine which are most effective in producing a random walk of the field lines.
DE: 2134 Interplanetary magnetic fields
DE: 2149 MHD waves and turbulence (2752, 6050, 7836)
DE: 2164 Solar wind plasma
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005