Abstract
From the one-fluid plasma model the simplifications leading to magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) are discussed in detail. The general form of the MHD equations, both ideal and resistive, is presented and their consequences analyzed, in particular in connection with the time evolution of magnetic fields. MHD equilibria are then described, both when magnetic forces are absent (force-free fields) and when they are present. Finally, the concept of perturbed equilibrium states is introduced.
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Notes
- 1.
A short presentation of Fourier analysis will be given in Sect. 7.1, to which we refer for details. We shall anticipate here a few fundamental concepts, which should however be already known to the reader.
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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Italia
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Chiuderi, C., Velli, M. (2015). Magnetohydrodynamics. In: Basics of Plasma Astrophysics. UNITEXT for Physics. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5280-2_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5280-2_5
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Publisher Name: Springer, Milano
Print ISBN: 978-88-470-5279-6
Online ISBN: 978-88-470-5280-2
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