EXPERIMENTAL MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC TURBULENCE INVESTIGATIONS

Abstract

Previous investigations of MHD turbulence are reviewed briefly, and a short description of the apparatus, a stabilized linear pinch device, is presented. Improvements in the frequency response of the magnetic probes and RC integrators and modifications to the design of the high-pass filters are discussed. The following experimental results obtained during the recent six month period are presented: (1) autocorrelation measurements have been performed on a set of Kerr cell photographs of the pinch to determine the wavelength of the instabilities, (2) promising results have been obtained using an x-y oscilloscope to determine the degree of correlation between signals from magnetic probes separated by varying distances, (3) Alfven wave propagation of the magnetic field fluctuations was observed by the phase shift between two probe signals, (4) some analyses have been made of the rms values of B and its first and 2nd derivatives to t, and the maximum frequency of the turbulence has been determined, and (5) high-quality Kerr cell photographs of the pinch have been taken on color film, using a new Kerr cell with a fluid which transmits the entire visible spectrum. The need for automatic data reduction techniques and for digital computer processing of data is also discussed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 16, 1962
Accession Number
AD0296526

Entities

People

  • E. B. Turner

Organizations

  • The Aerospace Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Autocorrelation
  • Cameras
  • Cells
  • Filters
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Response
  • High Pass Filters
  • Images
  • Integrators
  • Kerr Cells
  • Measurement
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Photographic Materials
  • Photographs
  • Photography
  • Wave Propagation

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Radar Systems Engineering.