The investigators will develop a methodology using spectral transfer functions in order to achieve a breakthrough understanding of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence and its applications. Transfer functions measure the strength, wave-number locality, and anisotropy of nonlinear couplings. Previously this formalism has been applied to hydrodynamic turbulence, but to date has not been applied to magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. The main effort is to use high-resolution numerical simulations to construct transfer function expressions that directly measure the strength and anisotropy of local and non-local wave couplings. Results will be compared with spacecraft observations to clarify several outstanding questions about solar wind turbulence.
