Weak Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

Low-frequency hydromagnetic turbulence is thought to play an important role in charged particle energization in space and astrophysical environments. For understanding large-scale turbulence in magnetized plasmas, low-frequency electromagnetic turbulence has been widely investigated within the theoretical framework of incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory. Among the existing works is the weak turbulence formalism of incompressible MHD turbulence. The present paper revisits the existing formalism under the assumption of zero residual energy. Under the strict assumption of turbulence taking place in a two-dimensional plane, which can be interpolated to a three-dimensional situation with azimuthal symmetry, the well-known steady-state turbulent spectrum of k(perpendicular to)(-2) is recovered, where k(perpendicular to) denotes the wave number perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.