Publication | James R. Beattie

Residual energy in magnetized turbulence, published in A&A

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our paper, Residual energy in weakly compressible turbulence with a mean guide field, is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 713, A7. I worked with lead author Raphael Skalidis, Aris Tritsis, and Philip F. Hopkins.

Using simulations of weakly compressible turbulence with a strong mean magnetic field, we compare driving through velocity fluctuations with driving through magnetic fluctuations. The two methods produce different energy balances even at comparable sonic and Alfvénic Mach numbers.

Magnetic driving produces nearly equal kinetic and magnetic energies in the inertial range, while velocity driving leaves an excess of kinetic energy. Section 3 of the paper presents the numerical comparison, showing why the driving mechanism matters when interpreting magnetized turbulence.

Read the published paper or read the open preprint.

My single-author ApJL paper on supernova-driven turbulence

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My single-author paper, Supernovae Drive Large-scale, Incompressible Turbulence through Small-scale Instabilities, is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 1004, L9.

I study how individual supernova remnants generate incompressible turbulence. Instabilities wrinkle the interface between hot and warm gas, bringing pressure and density gradients out of alignment and generating vorticity. Vortex stretching then allows turbulent motions to escape the shell into the surrounding gas.

The result connects the structure of these thin interfaces to the wider galactic turbulence cascade: small-scale instabilities can supply turbulent motions that an inverse cascade carries to larger scales. Sections III and IV of the paper develop and test this mechanism.

Read the published paper, read the open preprint, or explore the science highlight.

Matt Sampson’s cosmic-ray study is published

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our study, Cosmic-Ray and Plasma Coupling for Isothermal Supersonic Turbulence in the Magnetized Interstellar Medium, led by Matt Sampson, is now published in The Astrophysical Journal, volume 1001, article 99 (April 2026).

The paper explores how cosmic rays and turbulent, magnetized plasma interact as the cosmic-ray diffusion and streaming properties vary. Congratulations, Matt, and thank you to all our collaborators!

Read the published paper or read the preprint.

Matt Sampson’s cosmic-ray and plasma-coupling study is on arXiv

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Our study of cosmic-ray and plasma coupling, led by Matt Sampson, is available as a preprint on arXiv.

Update, April 2026: The paper is now published in The Astrophysical Journal.

🎉Published in Nature Astronomy🎉 -- The spectrum of magnetized turbulence in the interstellar medium!

Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

🎉I've submitted our work on dynamical alignment to PRL!

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

🎉My first SNe-driven turbulence paper is on the arXiv!

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

🎉Congrats Michael Grehan🎉 (CITA) -- student-led study submitted on magnetic reconnection through many different special relativistic plasma regimes!

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000