Colloquium on Jun. 21st, 2019

Turbulence and its Astrophysical Implications

Speaker: Huirong Yan (Postdam University)

Venue: Room 2317, SWIFAR Building

Time: 09:15 AM, Friday, 21st June, 2019

Abstract: 

Turbulence is ubiquitous and magnetized in astrophysical environments. Astrophysical turbulence is a direct consequence of large scale fluid motions experiencing low friction. While turbulence is an extremely complex chaotic non-linear phenomenon, it allows for a remarkably simple statistical description. Observations in both interstellar medium and in-situ measurement in solar wind exhibit universal power law over a wide range of scales. Turbulence holds the key to many astrophysical processes including cosmic ray physics, star formation, transport phenomena, chemistry, etc. Substantial progress has been made in understanding of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence from both theoretical and observational points of view. I will depict the modern picture of MHD turbulence as well as various astrophysical implications of MHD turbulence.