Waves and stability of flowing solar wind structures in the framework of the Hall magnetohydrodynamics

Journal Article · Wed Mar 19 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2909130· OSTI ID:21136926

Zhelyazkov, I ^[1]

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1. Faculty of Physics, Sofia University, BG-1164 Sofia (Bulgaria)

Now it is well established that the solar atmosphere, from photosphere to the corona and the solar wind is a highly structured medium. Satellite observations have confirmed the presence of steady flows. Bulk motions are registered along the magnetic field lines which outline the magnetic structures. Recent observations made by two HELIOS spacecrafts have revealed fine structures in high-speed solar wind flows. These structures are in the form of thin flowing layers (or tubes) that are adjacent to each other with differences in their plasma parameters (density, magnetic field, steady flow speed). These structures can be separated by tangential discontinuities in the magnetic filed, across which the total pressure is continuous. Here, we investigate the parallel propagation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) surface waves traveling along an ideal flowing plasma slab surrounded by flowing plasma environment in the framework of the Hall magnetohydrodynamics. The magnetohydrodynamics with Hall effect (Hall MHD) gives a fluid description of magnetized plasmas taking into account scales of the order of the ion inertial length, l{sub Hall} = c/{omega}{sub pi}, at which the dynamics of ions and electrons separates and the medium becomes dispersive. The magnitudes of the plasma densities and flow velocities inside and outside the slab are different. In general, flows increase the waves' phase velocities compared to their magnitudes in a static Hall-MHD plasma slab. Moreover, the plasma flows may cause the triggering of the Kelvin--Helmholtz instability. It turns out that the growth rates of the two kind of surface wave modes that can propagate, notably sausage and kink ones, for a given pair of Alfvenic Mach numbers (inside and outside the jet) are rather similar. In both cases the instability occurs at relatively short wavelengths, i.e., beyond some critical wave numbers.

• OSTI ID: 21136926
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 993; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALFVEN WAVES
ELECTRONS
FINE STRUCTURE
HALL EFFECT
HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PHASE VELOCITY
PHOTOSPHERE
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
SOLAR WIND
STEADY FLOW
WAVE PROPAGATION