Finite dissipation anomaly in collisionless plasma turbulence
Phys. Rev. E 114, 035202 – Published 2 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/zps2-7nrz
Abstract
A key principle underlying most turbulence theories is that the mean energy dissipation rate remains finite even as viscosity vanishes: the so-called zeroth law of turbulence. Although this property has been established for hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, its validity in weakly collisional plasmas has remained uncertain, where viscous and resistive closures fail. Using fully kinetic numerical simulations, we provide confirmation that the mean dissipation rate approaches a finite, system-independent value when expressed in terms of an effective Reynolds number derived from a heuristic collisionless viscosity. This result demonstrates a finite dissipation anomaly in collisionless plasma turbulence, establishing that the zeroth law extends beyond the collisional MHD regime.
