Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is a highly active area of research in astrophysics that aims to understand the complex behavior of magnetized fluids in astrophysical environments, ranging from solar winds, young stellar objects, molecular clouds, the Central Molecular Zone, extragalaxies, to entire galaxy clusters. The study of MHD turbulence is crucial for understanding a number of astrophysical phenomena, such as star formation, accretion onto black holes, the evolution of galaxies, cosmic ray propagation, the Galactic foreground polarization, and the formation of radio structures in galaxy clusters. Given the wide range of astrophysical phenomena that are influenced by MHD turbulence, it is a highly interdisciplinary field of research that draws on expertise from fluid dynamics, plasma physics, and astrophysics.
Despite decades of research, a complete understanding of MHD turbulence and its role in astrophysical processes remains elusive. The highly nonlinear and multiscale nature of MHD turbulence makes it a challenging field to study. The key problems and advanced understandings of MHD turbulence in astrophysics include:
(1) Understanding the nature of MHD turbulence;
(2) Determining turbulence properties from in situ measurements of the solar wind;
(3) Developing computational methods for studying MHD turbulence;
(4) Measuring MHD turbulence observationally using techniques such as velocity channel analysis (VCA), velocity coordinate spectrum (VCS), and velocity structure function (VSF);
(5) Understanding turbulence's role in creating HI-striations in spectroscopic observations;
(6) Investigating turbulence's properties across different scales, from solar winds and young stellar objects to molecular clouds, the Central Molecular Zone, extragalaxies, and entire galaxy clusters;
(7) Exploring turbulence's role in controlling star formation and cosmic ray propagation.
This collection aims to present recent theoretical advances, computational achievements, and observational techniques developed for studying the properties of MHD turbulence, as well as its astrophysical applications.
The scope of this Research Topic is to provide a comprehensive overview of recent theoretical, computational, and observational advancements in understanding MHD turbulence in astrophysical environments. We encourage contributions that focus on the following themes:
(1) Theoretical models of MHD turbulence in different astrophysical environments, including studies of its effects on various astrophysical processes.
(2) Numerical simulations and computational studies of MHD turbulence, with a focus on understanding the dynamics of magnetized fluids in different astrophysical environments.
(3) Observational measurements and studies of MHD turbulence in different astrophysical environments.
We welcome original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and opinion pieces that address these themes and contribute to our understanding of MHD turbulence in astrophysics.
Keywords:
Turbulence, Magnetic field, Interstellar Medium, Intracluster Medium, Numerical Method
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is a highly active area of research in astrophysics that aims to understand the complex behavior of magnetized fluids in astrophysical environments, ranging from solar winds, young stellar objects, molecular clouds, the Central Molecular Zone, extragalaxies, to entire galaxy clusters. The study of MHD turbulence is crucial for understanding a number of astrophysical phenomena, such as star formation, accretion onto black holes, the evolution of galaxies, cosmic ray propagation, the Galactic foreground polarization, and the formation of radio structures in galaxy clusters. Given the wide range of astrophysical phenomena that are influenced by MHD turbulence, it is a highly interdisciplinary field of research that draws on expertise from fluid dynamics, plasma physics, and astrophysics.
Despite decades of research, a complete understanding of MHD turbulence and its role in astrophysical processes remains elusive. The highly nonlinear and multiscale nature of MHD turbulence makes it a challenging field to study. The key problems and advanced understandings of MHD turbulence in astrophysics include:
(1) Understanding the nature of MHD turbulence;
(2) Determining turbulence properties from in situ measurements of the solar wind;
(3) Developing computational methods for studying MHD turbulence;
(4) Measuring MHD turbulence observationally using techniques such as velocity channel analysis (VCA), velocity coordinate spectrum (VCS), and velocity structure function (VSF);
(5) Understanding turbulence's role in creating HI-striations in spectroscopic observations;
(6) Investigating turbulence's properties across different scales, from solar winds and young stellar objects to molecular clouds, the Central Molecular Zone, extragalaxies, and entire galaxy clusters;
(7) Exploring turbulence's role in controlling star formation and cosmic ray propagation.
This collection aims to present recent theoretical advances, computational achievements, and observational techniques developed for studying the properties of MHD turbulence, as well as its astrophysical applications.
The scope of this Research Topic is to provide a comprehensive overview of recent theoretical, computational, and observational advancements in understanding MHD turbulence in astrophysical environments. We encourage contributions that focus on the following themes:
(1) Theoretical models of MHD turbulence in different astrophysical environments, including studies of its effects on various astrophysical processes.
(2) Numerical simulations and computational studies of MHD turbulence, with a focus on understanding the dynamics of magnetized fluids in different astrophysical environments.
(3) Observational measurements and studies of MHD turbulence in different astrophysical environments.
We welcome original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and opinion pieces that address these themes and contribute to our understanding of MHD turbulence in astrophysics.
Keywords:
Turbulence, Magnetic field, Interstellar Medium, Intracluster Medium, Numerical Method
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.