  We show that local directional alignment of the velocity and magnetic field
fluctuations occurs rapidly in magnetohydrodynamics for a variety of
parameters. This is observed both in direct numerical simulations and in solar
wind data. The phenomenon is due to an alignment between the magnetic field and
either pressure gradients or shear-associated kinetic energy gradients. A
similar alignment, of velocity and vorticity, occurs in the Navier Stokes fluid
case. This may be the most rapid and robust relaxation process in turbulent
flows, and leads to a local weakening of the nonlinear terms in the small scale
vorticity and current structures where alignment takes place.
