Impact of observational uncertainties on universal scaling of MHD turbulence

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to estimate the impact of observational uncertainties on the measurement of turbulence scaling exponents in the solar wind, clarifying discrepancies between observations and models.

Contribution

It presents a general, instrument-independent approach to quantify how measurement uncertainties affect observed turbulence scaling exponents.

Findings

Uncertainty correction explains discrepancies in solar wind turbulence spectra.

Method improves interpretation of high Reynolds number turbulence data.

Supports consistency between observations and MHD turbulence theories.

Abstract

Scaling exponents are the central quantitative prediction of theories of turbulence and in-situ satellite observations of the high Reynolds number solar wind flow have provided an extensive testbed of these. We propose a general, instrument independent method to estimate the uncertainty of velocity field fluctuations. We obtain the systematic shift that this uncertainty introduces into the observed spectral exponent. This shift is essential for the correct interpretation of observed scaling exponents. It is sufficient to explain the contradiction between spectral features of the Elsasser fields observed in the solar wind with both theoretical models and numerical simulations of Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence.