📝 SummarXiv

Abstract

Turbulence in strongly coupled plasmas (SCP) poses a unique challenge due to long-range interparticle interactions that impart viscoelastic properties to the medium. We report the first observation of intermittent viscoelastic turbulence in such plasmas using large-scale three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations. In driven dissipative SCP, we observe scale-dependent flow dynamics arising from the interplay between potential (elastic) and viscous dissipation at the particle level. Unlike conventional turbulence, governed by inertia and viscosity, SCP exhibits distinct energy transfer processes due to its intrinsic viscoelasticity. Both kinetic and elastic energy spectra show power-law scaling $E(k), \Phi(k) \propto k^{-3.5}$. In real space, velocity structure functions display nontrivial scaling, and the probability distribution functions of velocity increments deviate significantly from Gaussian behavior, especially in the tails, signatures of intermittency. These findings establish SCP as a novel platform for studying viscoelastic turbulence, with broad relevance to astrophysical plasmas, soft matter, and nonequilibrium statistical physics.