Structure and stability of constant-. cap alpha. force-free fields

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/191079· OSTI ID:5014970

Berger, M A

The Woltjer-Taylor hypothesis suggests that constant-..cap alpha.. force-free fields may arise naturally as a result of magnetic helicity conservation during field relaxation. Thus, an analysis of magnetic helicity is important in the understanding of these fields. We present a general expression for the helicity in spherical and planar geometries, and apply it to constant-..cap alpha.. fields. Inhomogeneous boundary conditions (B x nnot =0) are explicitly allowed for by use of the gauge-invariant relative helicity integral. The relation between relative helicity and energy is given particular attention.

• Research Organization: National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
• OSTI ID: 5014970
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States) Vol. 59:3; ISSN APJSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
EIGENVALUES
FORCE-FREE MAGNETIC FIELDS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
GEOMETRY
INSTABILITY
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MATHEMATICS
ORIGIN
STARS
SUN