“... dubious principle frozen into dogma” Willy Brandt
Abstract
This contribution is in support of Alfvén's use of circuit theory to advance the understanding of complex plasma physical problems, such as magnetic reconnection; these ideas have often been mis-understood. Circuit analysis is not a full description of the physics, being a scalar relationship. However, it is suitable for dealing with energy relationships and cause and effect, and it is fully capable of showing fallacies behind various fashionable ideas, including steady-state reconnection.
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Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 80th birthday, 30 May 1988.
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Heikkila, W.J. Elementary ideas behind plasma physics. Astrophys Space Sci 144, 85–97 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00793174
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00793174