Stationary MHD waves generated by a source in a moving plasma

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/91JA00046· OSTI ID:5256886

McKenzie, J F ^[1]

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1. Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau (West Germany)

The inductive interaction between a conducting body and a magnetized plasma in relative motion is formulated in terms of a source driving stationary magnetohydrodynamic waves in the frame of the body. Of particular interest is the existence of analytic solutions which describe the stationary wave pattern associated with a point source current. Such solutions are significant because not only do they, in principle, facilitate the construction of more general solutions by serving as Green's functions but also they provide an asymptotic description of the far field of the stationary wave pattern generated from each point of a source of finite size. The total pressure perturbation exhibits a Laplacian type behavior in the case of subsonic flow and a Mach cone like disturbance for supersonic flow. On the other hand, the associated electric potential response is mixed in nature in that it consists of compressive magnetoacoustic perturbations as well as the well-known Alfven wings corresponding to the shear Alfven mode. In the subsonic case it is shown that although there is a strong disturbance in the potential on the Alfven wings it is not narrowly confined to these wings by virtue of the two-dimensional dipolelike contributions from the fast magnetoacoustic mode. In supersonic flow the potential disturbance is swept downstream and confined to the fast Mach cone, on which it is singular and within which lies the other singularity on the Alfven wings.

• OSTI ID: 5256886
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 96:A6; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FUNCTIONS
GREEN FUNCTION
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INTERACTIONS
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVES
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
MOTION
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA
SATELLITES
SPACE VEHICLES
SUBSONIC FLOW
SUPERSONIC FLOW
VEHICLES