TRANSIENT VORTEX STRUCTURES IN LOW-FREQUENCY MAGNETIZED PLASMA TURBULENCE

The nonlinear transient state of drift vortices often observed in comp uter simulations and experiments on low frequency magnetized plasma tu rbulence has been investigated. The essential problem is studied by co nsidering a model in which a vortex is embedded in a strained perpendi cular and parallel flow. In the axisymmetric limit the diffusion equat ion is solved exactly to display vortex generation, stretching and dis sipation. In the nonaxisymmetric case, a perturbative solution is obta ined which displays essentially the same features.