A Consistent One-Dimensional Model for the Turbulent Tachocline

Abstract

The first consistent model for the turbulent tachocline is presented, with the turbulent diffusivity computed within the model instead of being specified arbitrarily. For the origin of the 3D turbulence a new mechanism is proposed. Owing to the strongly stable stratification, the mean radial shear is stable, while the horizontal shear is expected to drive predominantly horizontal, quasi-2D motions in thin slabs. Here I suggest that a major source of 3D overturning turbulent motions in the tachocline is the secondary shear instability due to the strong, random vertical shear arising between the uncorrelated horizontal flows in neighbouring slabs. A formula for the vertical diffusivity due to this turbulence, equation (9), is derived and applied in a simplified 1D model of the tachocline. It is found that Maxwell stresses due to an oscillatory poloidal magnetic field of a few hundred gauss are able to confine the tachocline to a thickness below 5 Mm. The integral scale of the 3D overturning turbulence is the buoyancy scale, on the order of 10 km and its velocity amplitude is a few m/s, yielding a vertical turbulent diffusivity on the order of 10^8 cm^2/s.

16 pages, 2 figures

References in corpus (5)

• A study of possible temporal and latitudinal variations in the properties of the solar tachocline
• Dynamics of the solar tachocline I: an incompressible study
• Tachocline Confinement by an Oscillatory Magnetic Field
• Dynamics of the fast solar tachocline: I. Dipolar field
• A new model for the lower overshoot layer in the Sun

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Self-consistent theory of turbulent transport in the solar tachocline. III. Gravity waves
• On a long-term dynamics of the magnetised solar tachocline
• On over-reflection and generation of Gravito-Alfven waves in solar-type stars
• Angular-momentum coupling through the tachocline
• An analytic interface dynamo over a shear layer of finite depth