Meaning of the splitting process for the transition to self-sustained turbulence in a magnetized cylindrical plasma

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the splitting process influences the transition to self-sustained turbulence in magnetized cylindrical plasmas, drawing parallels with neutral fluid shear flows and pipe flow dynamics.

Contribution

It extends the understanding of turbulence transition mechanisms from neutral fluids to magnetized plasmas, highlighting the role of splitting times and phase-locking phenomena.

Findings

Splitting frequency increases before turbulence decay.

Transition to self-sustained turbulence correlates with phase-lock breakdown.

Magnetized plasma behavior shows similarities to pipe flow turbulence.

Abstract

When turbulent structures split more frequently before they decay, persistent turbulence forms in neutral fluid shear flows. Whether this concept can be extended to linear magnetized plasmas is investigated here and compared to the behavior of the pipe flow. With increasing control parameter the dynamics in the magnetized plasmas is known to undergo several changes from a quasiperiodic to a phase locked to a weakly turbulent regime. When the phase-locked regime breaks down, the splitting time approaches the decreasing lifetime reflecting self-sustained turbulence, as known from the pipe flow.