Phase-synchronization, energy cascade, and intermittency in solar-wind turbulence.

Area of Science:

• Space Physics
• Plasma Physics
• Astrophysics

Background:

• Solar wind exhibits complex magnetic turbulence.
• Understanding energy cascade mechanisms is crucial for heliospheric physics.
• Previous studies lack detailed analysis of structure generation across scales.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the energy cascade in solar wind magnetic turbulence.
• To identify the origin and characteristics of turbulent structures.
• To analyze the local nature of energy transfer in the inner heliosphere.

Main Methods:

• Utilized MESSENGER spacecraft data from the inner heliosphere.
• Decomposed magnetic field time series into intrinsic functions based on time scales.
• Analyzed phase reorganization and correlation between neighboring time scales.

Main Results:

• Identified phase reorganization in magnetic field time series.
• Revealed the generation of structures across all sizes within the turbulent cascade.
• Found correlation/anticorrelation of phases between neighboring time scales linked to localized energy peaks.

Conclusions:

• The nonlinear turbulent cascade generates structures across inertial and dispersive ranges.
• Energy transfer in solar wind turbulence is a localized process.
• Phase reorganization provides insights into the dynamics of magnetic turbulence.