Self-organization process in three-dimensional compressible magnetohydrodynamics

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.865708· OSTI ID:7242537

Horiuchi, R; Sato, T

A three-dimensional self-organization process in a compressible dissipative plasma is investigated in detail by means of a variational method and a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation. In the closed system where the total energy and total mass are conserved, the compressible MHD plasma relaxes to a maximum entropy state under the constraint that the total magnetic helicity is constant. This state is equivalent to a force-free equilibrium in which the pressure distribution is uniform. Magnetic reconnection converts the magnetic energy into the thermal energy in the vicinity of the reconnection points where the selective dissipation of magnetic energy effectively takes place owing to the generation of magnetic bubbles (R. Horiuchi and T. Sato, Phys. Fluids 29, 1161 (1986)). The enchanced thermal energy is carried away all over the system by the fast MHD waves. The swift expansion of the thermal energy leads to a uniform distribution of the pressure profile in the transit time scale of the fast MHD wave. Numerical simulation shows that the system tends to self-organize to a force-free state where the physical quantities are almost exactly the same as those of the zero pressure case. It is also observed that the magnetic energy spectrum cascades toward the high wavenumber region while the helicity spectrum inversely cascades toward the low wavenumber region.

• Research Organization: Institute for Fusion Theory, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 730, Japan
• OSTI ID: 7242537
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Vol. 29:12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
PLASMA
CONSERVATION LAWS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
RELAXATION
COMPRESSIBILITY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY LOSSES
ENTROPY
EQUILIBRIUM
HELICITY
MAGNETIC FLUX
MASS
PLASMA PRESSURE
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
SIMULATION
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VARIATIONAL METHODS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
LOSSES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
700101* - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Confinement
Heating
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640430 - Fluid Physics- Magnetohydrodynamics