Scattering of Energetic Particles by Anisotropic Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence with a Goldreich-Sridhar Power Spectrum

Abstract

Scattering rates for a Goldreich-Sridhar (GS) spectrum of anisotropic, incompressible, magnetohydrodynamic turbulence are calculated in the quasilinear approximation. Because the small-scale fluctuations are constrained to have wave vectors nearly perpendicular to the background magnetic field, scattering is too weak to provide either the mean-free paths commonly used in Galactic cosmic-ray propagation models or the mean-free paths required for acceleration of cosmic rays at quasiparallel shocks. Where strong pitch-angle scattering occurs, it is due to fluctuations not described by the GS spectrum, such as fluctuations generated by streaming cosmic rays.