Thin current sheets caused by plasma flow gradients in space and astrophysical plasma

0355145 - ASÚ 2011 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
Nickeler, Dieter Horst - Wiegelmann, T.
Thin current sheets caused by plasma flow gradients in space and astrophysical plasma.
Annales Geophysicae. Roč. 28, č. 8 (2010), s. 1523-1532. ISSN 0992-7689. E-ISSN 1432-0576
R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA300030804
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10030501
Keywords : magnetospheric physics * space plasma physics
Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics
Impact factor: 1.620, year: 2010

We concentrate here on incompressible plasma flows and 2-D equilibria, which allow us to find analytic solutions of the stationary magnetohydrodynamics equations (SMHD). First we solve the magnetohydrostatic (MHS) equations with the help of a Grad-Shafranov equation and then we transform these static equilibria into a stationary state with plasma flow. We are in particular interested to study SMHD-equilibria with strong plasma flow gradients perpendicular to separatrices. We find that induced thin current sheets occur naturally in such situations. The strength of the induced currents depend on the Alfvén Mach number and its gradient, and on the magnetic field.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0193981