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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. E » Volume 75 » Issue 4
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Phys. Rev. E 75, 046401 (2007) [4 pages]

Intermittent nature of solar wind turbulence near the Earth’s bow shock: Phase coherence and non-Gaussianity

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D. Koga*, A. C.-L. Chian, and R. A. Miranda†
National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and World Institute for Space Environment Research (WISER), P.O. Box 515, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, 12227-010, Brazil

E. L. Rempel
Institute of Aeronautical Technology (ITA) and World Institute for Space Environment Research (WISER), CTA/ITA/IEFM, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, 12228-900, Brazil

Received 10 November 2006; published 16 April 2007

The link between phase coherence and non-Gaussian statistics is investigated using magnetic field data observed in the solar wind turbulence near the Earth’s bow shock. The phase coherence index Cϕ, which characterizes the degree of phase correlation (i.e., nonlinear wave-wave interactions) among scales, displays a behavior similar to kurtosis and reflects a departure from Gaussianity in the probability density functions of magnetic field fluctuations. This demonstrates that nonlinear interactions among scales are the origin of intermittency in the magnetic field turbulence.

© 2007 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.75.046401
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevE.75.046401
PACS:
52.35.−g, 95.30.Qd, 47.27.−i

*Electronic address: daiki@dge.inpe.br

†Also at Centre for Quaternary Research (CEQua), University of Magallanes, P.O. Box 113-D, Punta Arenas, Chile.

 
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