Numerical simulation of the compressible Orszag-Tang vortex. II. Supersonic flow. Interim report

Technical Report · Sun Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6515774

Picone, J M; Dahlburg, R B

The numerical investigation of the Orszag-Tang vortex system in compressible magnetofluids will consider initial conditions with embedded supersonic regions. The simulations have initial average Mach numbers M = 1.0 and 1.5 and beta = 10/3 with Lundquist numbers S = 50, 100, or 200. The behavior of the system differs significantly from that found previously for the incompressible and subsonic analogs. Shocks form at the downstream boundaries of the embedded supersonic regions outside the central magnetic X-point and produce strong local current sheets which dissipate appreciable magnetic energy. Reconnection at the central X-point, which dominates the incompressible and subsonic systems, peaks later and has a smaller impact as M increases from 0.6 to 1.5. Similarly, correlation between the momentum and magnetic field begins significant growth later than in subsonic and incompressible flows. The shocks bound large compression regions, which dominate the wavenumber spectra of autocorrelations in mass density, velocity, and magnetic field.

• Research Organization: Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6515774
• Report Number(s): AD-A-224913/4/XAB; NRL-MR-6690
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
SOLAR WIND
VORTICES
CORRELATIONS
DENSITY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY LOSSES
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MASS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
SHOCK WAVES
SUBSONIC FLOW
SUPERSONIC FLOW
TURBULENCE
CURRENTS
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
LOSSES
MATHEMATICS
MECHANICS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
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