Hydromagnetic structure of a current sheet

1970 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Cassen
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Thermally Conducting ◽  
Magnetic Field Variations ◽  
A Current

We investigate the structure of the hydromagnetic boundary layer formed by the mixing of two streams of fluid containing oppositely directed magnetic fields. The flow and magnetic field are aligned at infinity. The fluid is considered to be compressible, viscous, and electrically and thermally conducting. Solutions are presented for the density, velocity, and magnetic field variations through the boundary layer.

Statistics on Jupiter's Current Sheet with Juno Data: Geometry, Magnetic Fields and Energetic Particles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-Yang Liu ◽  
Qiu-Gang Zong ◽  
Michel Blanc
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Heavy Ions ◽  
Particle Interaction ◽  
The Other ◽  
Gaussian Functions ◽  
Fixed Energy ◽  
Thin Current Sheet ◽  
A Current

<p>Jupiter's magnetosphere contains a current sheet of huge size near its equator. The current sheet not only mediates the global mass and energy cycles of Jupiter's magnetosphere, but also provides an occurring place for many localized dynamic processes, such as reconnection and wave-particle interaction. To correctly evaluate its role in these processes, a statistical description of the current sheet is required. To this end, here we conduct statistics on Jupiter's current sheet, with four-year Juno data recorded in the 20-100 Jupiter radii, post-midnight magnetosphere. The results suggest a thin current sheet whose thickness is comparable with the gyro-radius of dominant ions. Magnetic fields in the current sheet decrease in power-law with increasing radial distances. At fixed energy, the flux of electrons and protons increases with decreasing radial distances. On the other hand, at fixed radial distances, the flux decreases in power-law with increasing energy. The flux also varies with the distances to the current sheet center. The corresponding relationship can be well described by Gaussian functions peaking at the current sheet center. In addition, the statistics show the flux of oxygen- and sulfur-group ions is comparable with the flux of protons at the same energy and radial distances, indicating the non-negligible effects of heavy ions on current sheet dynamics. From these results, a statistical model of Jupiter's current sheet is constructed, which provides us with a start point of understanding the dynamics of the whole Jupiter's magnetosphere.</p>

scholarly journals Global properties of magnetotail current sheet flapping: THEMIS perspectives

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 319-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Runov ◽  
V. Angelopoulos ◽  
V. A. Sergeev ◽  
K.-H. Glassmeier ◽  
U. Auster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Growth Phase ◽  
Timing Analysis ◽  
Wave Length ◽  
Global Properties ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Magnetic Field Variations ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetotail Current Sheet

Abstract. A sequence of magnetic field oscillations with an amplitude of up to 30 nT and a time scale of 30 min was detected by four of the five THEMIS spacecraft in the magnetotail plasma sheet. The probes P1 and P2 were at X=−15.2 and −12.7 RE and P3 and P4 were at X=−7.9 RE. All four probes were at −6.5>Y>−7.5 RE (major conjunction). Multi-point timing analysis of the magnetic field variations shows that fronts of the oscillations propagated flankward (dawnward and Earthward) nearly perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic maximum variation (B1) at velocities of 20–30 km/s. These are typical characteristics of current sheet flapping motion. The observed anti-correlation between ∂B1/∂t and the Z-component of the bulk velocity make it possible to estimate a flapping amplitude of 1 to 3 RE. The cross-tail scale wave-length was found to be about 5 RE. Thus the flapping waves are steep tail-aligned structures with a lengthwise scale of >10 RE. The intermittent plasma motion with the cross-tail velocity component changing its sign, observed during flapping, indicates that the flapping waves were propagating through the ambient plasma. Simultaneous observations of the magnetic field variations by THEMIS ground-based magnetometers show that the flapping oscillations were observed during the growth phase of a substorm.

Stability of static current sheets connecting plane magnetic null points

1999 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 623-631
Author(s):  
MANUEL NÚÑEZ
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Lorentz Force ◽  
Critical Points ◽  
Null Point ◽  
The Other ◽  
Magnetic Null ◽  
Local Topology ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
A Current

The configuration created in the plane by the separation of a magnetic hyperbolic null point into two critical points connected by a current sheet is considered. The main parameters are the orders of the zeros of these new null points, which determine the local topology of the magnetic field. It is shown that when the magnetic field is static, the fluid tends to flow orthogonally to the field in the vicinity of the sheet endpoints. Moreover, the Lorentz force pushes one of them towards the other, so the configuration tends to collapse again into a single null point except when the order of both is precisely ½.

Resistive MHD stagnation-point flows at a current sheet

1975 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. U. Ö. Sonnerup ◽  
E. R. Priest
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Stagnation Point ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Mhd Equations ◽  
Viscous Effects ◽  
Three Dimensional Flow ◽  
Merging Process ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
A Current

A family of exact solutions to the MHD equations is presented for steady incompressible two- and three-dimensional flow in the vicinity of the stagnation point, which forms in a current sheet separating two colliding plasma streams. The magnetic field in each plasma is strictly parallel to the current sheet, but can have different magnitudes and directions. Resistive and viscous effects are accounted for. These flows are of considerable interest in connexion with the magnetic field merging process. They represent the limit of resistive field annihilation with zero reconnexion.

scholarly journals On the field of force near the neutral point produced by two equal coaxial coils, with special reference to the Campbell standard of mutual inductance

1925 ◽  
Vol 107 (744) ◽  
pp. 716-724 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Special Reference ◽  
Opposite Direction ◽  
Mutual Inductance ◽  
Common Axis ◽  
The Common ◽  
Small Change ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
A Current

When a current is passed through two equal coaxial coils so that the component of the magnetic fields parallel to the common axis add, there is a circle, mid-way between the two coils, at which the magnetic field is zero. At all points in the plane of that circle lying outside it, the field of force is in one direction, and at all points within the circle it is in the opposite direction. It is evident, therefore, that if a coaxial turn of wire be placed in the plane of the circle, the mutual inductance between the two coils will be a maximum, when the wire coincides with the circle, and any small change in the radius of the turn will affect the value of the mutual inductance only to the second order of small quantities.

scholarly journals A model for the energetic emission from pulsars

2000 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 439-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu.E. Lyubarskii
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Pulsar Magnetosphere ◽  
Energy Emission ◽  
High Energy Emission ◽  
A Current

AbstractA current sheet separates, beyond the closed part of the pulsar magnetosphere, two half-spaces with oppositely directed magnetic fields. It is shown that reconnection in this sheet may provide a source for high-energy emission.

MHD stagnation-point flows at a current sheet including viscous and resistive effects: general two-dimensional solutions

1990 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 525-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. D. Phan ◽  
B. U. Ö. Sonnerup
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Stagnation Point ◽  
Angle Of Incidence ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Viscous Effects ◽  
Special Cases ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
A Current

Exact solutions are presented of two-dimensional steady-state incompressible stagnation point flows at a current sheet separating two colliding plasmas. They describe the process of resistive field annihilation (zero reconnection) where the magnetic field in each plasma is strictly parallel to the current sheet, but may have different magnitudes and direction on its two sides. The flow in the (x, y) plane toward the current sheet, located at x = 0, may have an arbitrary angle of incidence and an arbitrary amount of divergence from or convergence towards the stagnation point. We find the most general form of the solution for the plasma velocity and for the magnetic field. For the z compenents of the flow and field, solutions in the form of truncating power series in y are found. The cases obtained in this study contain the solutions obtained by Parker, Sonnerup & Priest, Gratton et al. and Besser, Biernat & Rijnbeek as special cases. The role of viscosity in determining the flow and field configurations is examined. When the two colliding plasmas have the same viscosity and density, it is shown that viscous effects usually are important only in strongly divergent or convergent viscous flows with viscous Reynolds number of the order of unity or smaller. For astrophysical applications the viscous Reynolds number is usually high and the effects of viscosity on the interaction of plasmas of similar properties are small. The formulation of the stagnation-point flow problem involving plasmas of different properties is also presented. Sample cases of such flows are shown. Finally, a possible application of the results from this study to the earth's magnetopause is discussed briefly.

Self-similar resistive decay of a current sheet in a compressible plasma

1979 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith B. Kirkland ◽  
Bengt U. ö. Sonnerup
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Interplanetary Space ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Inertia Effects ◽  
Compressible Plasma ◽  
Earth Magnetic Field ◽  
Self Similar ◽  
A Current

Self-similar solutions of the magnetogasynamic equations are derived which describe the resistive decay of a plane current sheet in a compressible plasma. Such current sheets are thought to provide the magnetic energy storage in solar flares. They also occur at the boundaries between regions containing different magnetic-field directions in interplanetary space, and at the interface between the solar wing and the earth' magnetic field. It is shown that the resistive decay of a current sheet in a compressible plasma must involve plasma motion. The convective effects associated with this motion are incorporated in the analysis; the inertia effects are not. The electrical and thermal conductivities are taken to be constant, but the analysis may easily be generalized to include realistic temperature and magnetic field dependences of these quantities. Radiative and viscous terms are not included. The ordinary differential equations resulting from the similarity hypothesis are solved numerically, yielding curves of the plasma density, temperature, and velocity, as well as of the magnetic and induced electric fields, as functions of the similarity variable. The non-dimensional groups of importance are: y, the ratio of specific heats at constant pressure and constant volume; Kx, the ratio of thermal to resistive diffusivity; β∞, the ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure at large distances from the current sheet. The first of these ratios is kept constant and equal to 5/3, corresponding to a monoatomic gas. The behaviour of the solution when the other two ratios are varied is investigated. The plasma velocity at large distances from the current sheet does not vanish in these solutions. It is always directed toward the sheet. However, when the diffusivity ratio K∞ is small, plasma flow away from the centre of the sheet also occurs in two narrow regions, one on each side of the centre. As a result of the reversals in the flow direction, the density then displays a relative minimum at the centre of the sheet with two outward travelling maxima adjacent to it. The plasma temperature at the centre of the sheet becomes very large for small K∞ and β∞ The expansion of the sheet becomes explosive and inertia effects can no longer be neglected. The physical meaning of these results is discussed and directions for further research are outlined.

scholarly journals The global heliospheric magnetic field polarity distribution as seen at Ulysses

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1377-1382 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Jones ◽  
A. Balogh
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Solar Activity ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Current Sheet ◽  
Heliospheric Current Sheet ◽  
Field Polarity ◽  
Heliospheric Magnetic Field ◽  
Interplanetary Magnetic Fields ◽  
Interplanetary Physics

Abstract. The Ulysses spacecraft is in a near-polar solar orbit with a period of 6.2 years. The heliospheric magnetic field polarity detected by Ulysses from its 1992 Jupiter encounter to the current time is presented, following ballistic mapping of the polarity information to the solar wind source surface, at approximately 2.5 solar radii. The spacecraft’s first foray to polar latitudes and first rapid heliolatitude scan occurred in 1994–1995, near a minimum in solar activity. The heliospheric current sheet during this period was confined to low heliolatitudes. In 2000–2001, Ulysses returned in situ data from the same region of its orbit as in 1994–1995, but near to the maximum in solar activity. Unlike at solar minimum, heliospheric current sheet crossings were detected at the spacecraft over a wide heliolatitude range, which is consistent with the reversal of the solar magnetic dipole occurring during solar maximum. Despite complexity in the solar wind parameters during the latest fast latitude scan (McComas et al., 2002), the underlying magnetic field structure appears consistent with a simple dipole inclined at a large angle to the solar rotational axis. The most recent data show the heliospheric current sheet returning to lower heliolatitudes, indicating that the dipole and rotational axes are realigning, with the Sun’s magnetic polarity having reversed.Key words. Interplanetary physics (interplanetary magnetic fields; sources of the solar wind) – Solar physics, astrophysics and astronomy (magnetic fields)

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