Formation, structure, and stability of MHD intermediate shocks

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA095iA06p08149· OSTI ID:5310910

Wu, C C ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)

Contrary to the usual belief that MHD intermediate shocks are extraneous, the author has recently shown by numerical solutions of dissipative MHD equations that intermediate shocks are admissible and can be formed through nonlinear wave steepening from continuous waves. In this paper, the formation, structure and stability of intermediate shocks in dissipative MHD are considered in detail. The differences between the conventional theory and his are pointed out and clarified. He shows that all four types of intermediate shocks can be formed from smooth waves. He also shows that there are free parameters in the structure of the intermediate shocks, and that these parameters are related to the shock stability. In addition, he shows that a rotational discontinuity can not exist with finite width, indicate how this is related to the existence of time-dependent intermediate shocks, and show why the conventional theory is not a good approximation to dissipative MHD solutions whenever there is rotation in magnetic field.

• OSTI ID: 5310910
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:A6; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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Ionospheric
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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CALCULATION METHODS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETOPAUSE
MECHANICS
NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
SHOCK WAVES
STABILITY
TIME DEPENDENCE