Earth, Moon, and Planets

, Volume 61, Issue 2, pp 141–149 | Cite as

The formation of magnetic channels

  • Z. M. Ioffe
  • A. I. Ershkovich
  • P. L. Israelevich
Article
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Abstract

The model problem simulating a vortex development is solved numerically. Breakdown of the velocity sheared layer due to the nonlinear evolution of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is shown to lead to the wave crest overturning and, eventually, to formation of a large-scale vortex. The magnetic field strength in the vortex core turns out to be lower than that in the ambient plasma, so that vortex core may be called “the magnetic channel”.

The mechanism of the magnetic field generation by a single vortex is studied analytically within the framework of magnetokinematics. It appeared that there is no magnetic field generation in the vortex core where rotation of the plasma is rigid. Therefore, the magnetic field here is reduced, and hence the plasma density is enhanced.

These results seem to support the hypothesis of the comet ray origin as magnetically channeled outflow: the magnetic channel might become visible as a comet ray against adjacent plasma of lesser density outside the magnetic channel.

Keywords

Magnetic Field Vortex Field Strength Crest Plasma Density 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic Publishers 1993

Authors and Affiliations

  • Z. M. Ioffe
    • 1
  • A. I. Ershkovich
    • 1
  • P. L. Israelevich
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact SciencesTel Aviv UniversityRamat AvivIsrael

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