Generalized self-similarity of intermittent plasma turbulence in space and laboratory plasmas

Abstract

Statistical characteristics of plasma fluctuations in the solar wind (SW), the Earth’s magnetosphere and fusion devices are reviewed. The turbulence in all these media has a complicated multiscale structure and exhibits a generalized self-similarity in an extended scale range. The anomalous transport of mass and momentum is intermittent and is carried by sporadic plasma flux bursts with non-Gaussian statistics, long-range correlation and multifractality. Intermittent turbulent transport is characterized by superdiffusion with power law$\langle {\it\delta}x^{2}\rangle \propto {\it\tau}^{{\it\alpha}}$,${\it\alpha}\approx 1.2{-}1.8$. The structure functions in all these plasma environments are well fitted by the log-Poisson model of turbulence. Intermittent plasma turbulence displays universal properties and consists of quasi-1-D singular dissipative structures.