Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Stability of tangential discontinuities

  • Published:
Solar Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The MHD stability of tangential discontinuities is first considered. We treat these discontinuities as structured forms rather than as sharp breaks in the magnetic field. An unfamiliar form of the MHD energy principle is applied, and stability is proved provided that there is no fluid flow tangent to the ‘discontinuity’ plane. Perturbations which simply transform the system from one equilibrium to another are neutrally stable. Using comparison theorems we conclude that the observed stability of tangential forms in the solar wind implies near isotropy of the particle pressure in them.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bernstein, I. B., Frieman, E. A., Kruskal, M. D., and Kulsrud, R. M.: 1958, Proc. Roy. Soc. A244, 17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burlaga, L. F.: 1968, Solar Phys. 4, 67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burlaga, L. F. and Ness, N. F.: 1969, Solar Phys. 9, 467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandrasekhar, S., Kaufmann, A., and Watson, K.: 1958, Proc. Roy. Soc. A245, 435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairneid, D. H.: 1968, J. Geophys. Res. 73, 6179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grad, H. and Rebhan, E.: 1969, Phys. Rev. Letters 22, 451.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kulsrud, R.: 1964, in Proceedings of the International School of Physics Enrico Fermi Course XXV, Academic Press, New York, U.S.A., p. 54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landau, L. and Lifshitz, E.: 1960, Electrodynamics of Continuous Media, Addison-Wesley, Inc., U.S.A., p. 228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbluth, M. N.: 1956, ‘Stability of the Pinch’, Los Alamos Report 2030.

  • Siscoe, G. L., Davis, L. Jr., Coleman, P. J. Jr., Smith, E. J., and Jones, D. E.: 1968, J. Geophys. Res. 73, 61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Syrovatskii, S. I.: 1953, Zh. Eksp. Teoret. Fiz. 24, 622.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woltjer, L.: 1958, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 44, 489.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Space Physics, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., USA

    T. G. Northrop & T. J. Birmingham

Authors
  1. T. G. Northrop
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. J. Birmingham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Northrop, T.G., Birmingham, T.J. Stability of tangential discontinuities. Sol Phys 14, 226–233 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240183

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240183

Keywords

Search

Navigation