Extending Big Power Law in the Sky with Turbulence Spectra from WHAM data

TL;DR

This paper uses WHAM data to test if the density fluctuations in the interstellar medium follow a Kolmogorov turbulence spectrum across a vast range of scales, confirming the consistency of observational data with theoretical turbulence models.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that WHAM data can be matched to interstellar turbulence spectra assuming Kolmogorov turbulence, extending the understanding of turbulence in the interstellar medium.

Findings

WHAM data aligns with Kolmogorov turbulence spectrum

Turbulence spans from 10^6 to 10^17 meters

Density fluctuations are consistent with theoretical models

Abstract

We use the data of Wisconsin H$\alpha$ Mapper (WHAM) to test the hypothesis of whether the amplitudes and spectrum of density fluctuations measured by WHAM can be matched to the data obtained for interstellar scintillations and scattering. To do this, first of all, we adjusted the mean level of signal in the adjacent patches of the data. Then, assuming that the spectrum is Kolmogorov, we successfully matched the amplitudes of turbulence obtained from the WHAM data and the interstellar density fluctuations reported in the existing literature. As a result, we conclude that the existing data is consistent with the Kolmogorov cascade which spans from $10^6$ to $10^{17}$ $m$.