STRUCTURE OF NON-FORCE-FREE MAGNETIC FLUX ROPES IN AN AMBIENT MEDIUM
- Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
The structure of non-force-free equilibrium magnetic flux ropes in an ambient medium of specified pressure p{sub a} is studied. A flux rope is a self-organized magnetized plasma structure consisting of a localized channel of electric current and the magnetic field arising from this current. An analytic method is developed to obtain one-dimensional equilibrium solutions satisfying c {sup -1} J Multiplication-Sign B - {nabla}p = 0 subject to the requirements that (1) all physical quantities be nonsingular and continuous, (2) pressure p(r) be physically admissible-real and non-negative, and (3) the magnetic field profile have ''minimum complexity''. The solutions are shown to be characterized by two parameters, B{sup *}{sub t}{identical_to} B-bar{sub t}/(8{pi}p{sub a}){sup 1/2} and B*{sub p} {identical_to} B{sub pa} /(8{pi}p{sub a} ){sup 1/2}, where B-bar{sub t} is the toroidal (axial) field averaged over the cross-sectional radius a and B{sub pa} is the poloidal (azimuthal) field at the edge of the current channel (r = a). The physical constraint on pressure defines equilibrium boundaries in the B*{sub t}-B*{sub p} space beyond which no physical solutions exist. The method is illustrated with a number of families of solutions governed by distinct physical constraints. The force-free limit with p{sub a} {ne} 0 is investigated and is found to be characterized by plasma {beta} = {infinity}. The local Alfven speed V{sub A} and plasma {beta} are computed. The results are scale-invariant.
- OSTI ID:
- 22139922
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 761, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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