The structure of resistive-dispersive intermediate shocks

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA095iA11p18791· OSTI ID:5025478

Hau, L N; Sonnerup, B U O ^[1]

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1. Dartmouth Coll., Hanover, NH (United States)

The structure of intermediate shocks is studied on the basis of the resistive, nonviscous two-fluid equations. Electron inertia effects are neglected so that the generalized Ohm's law contains only the Hall current and the electron pressure terms in addition to the usual resistive term and the electric field. As for the case of purely resistive MHD, reported recently by Hau and Sonnerup fixed-point analysis is performed to examine the nature of the magnetic structure near the upstream and downstream states of the intermediate shock. The one-dimensional, steady state, resistive Hall MHD equations are then integrated numerically to generate complete shock structures which are presented in the form of magnetic hodograms. These hodograms describe fast and slow shocks in addition to intermediate shocks. As expected, the calculations show that the main effect of Hall currents is to remove the symmetry between left-hand and right-hand polarized shock structures found in the purely resistive case and sometimes to convert the smooth shock transitions obtained from the resistive MHD model into transitions that incorporate oscillatory standing wave train structures at their upstream and/or downstream edge. The magnetic structure in the plane of the shock near the possible upstream and downstream states of the intermediate shock, which in the case of purely resistive MHD is either a node or a saddle, can be either a node, a saddle or a spiral point, the latter corresponding to a standing wave train, when the Hall term is included. As a result, the number of possible types of magnetic hodogram topology increases from 3 in the resistive case, to a total of 20.

• OSTI ID: 5025478
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:A11; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640430* -- Fluid Physics-- Magnetohydrodynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HALL EFFECT
HYDRODYNAMICS
LEPTONS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
MECHANICS
MORPHOLOGY
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SHOCK WAVES
TOPOLOGY
WAVE PROPAGATION