Formation of intermediate shocks in both two-fluid and hybrid models

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90JA02463· OSTI ID:5310032

Wu, C C ^[1]; Hada, T ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)
2. Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan)

Intermediate shocks are shocks with shock frame fluid velocities greater than the Alfven speed ahead and less than the Alfven speed behind, or equivalently, across intermediate shocks the sign of the transverse component of the magnetic field changes. These shocks had been considered extraneous, or nonevolutionary, or unstable, and they had been thought not to correspond to physical reality (Germain, 1960; Jeffrey and Taniuti, 1964; Kantrowitz and Petschek, 1966). However, it has been shown that intermediate shocks can be formed from continuous waves according to dissipative magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) (Wu, 1987, 1988a, b, 1990). Thus according to the formation argument which requires that physical shocks be formed by the wave steepening process, the intermediate shocks should be considered physical. Here, intermediate shocks are studied in a two-fluid model that includes finite ion inertia dispersion and in a hybrid model in which the full ion dynamics is retained while the electrons are treated as a massless fluid. The authors show that in both models intermediate shocks can be formed through wave steepening, meaning that they are stable and possess shock structures.

• OSTI ID: 5310032
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 96:A3; 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
CHARGED PARTICLES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY LOSSES
FERMIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
IONS
LEPTONS
LOSSES
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
MORPHOLOGY
PLASMA
SHOCK WAVES
SIMULATION
STABILITY