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Gauge condition for studying intrinsic magnetospheres

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2015

Miller Mendoza  and
John Morales
Miller Mendoza*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia Computational Physics for Engineering Materials, Institute for Building Materials, ETH Zürich, Schafmattstrasse 6, HIF, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
John Morales
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia Centro Internacional de Física, Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia
*
†Email address for correspondence: mmendozaj@unal.edu.co
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Abstract

We propose an analytical model based on the solution of the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations for studying intrinsic magnetospheres. For this purpose, we introduce a new gauge condition for the electromagnetic vector potential, which simplifies the solution of this complex system of nonlinear equations. Using this model, we analyse the deformation of the terrestrial magnetic field due to the presence of the solar wind. By comparing the results with experimental observations, we find that our model reproduces with good agreement the geometrical configuration of the magnetosphere, and that the solar wind should have a finite conductivity. This model could also be used to perform linear stability analysis of fluid and magnetic instabilities. Finally, our solution is not limited to magnetospheric configurations but also applies to a steady-state incompressible and irrotational flow with large plasma parameter and small velocity fluctuations.

JFM classification

Geophysical and Geological Flows: Geophysical and Geological Flows Mathematical Foundations: Mathematical Foundations MHD and Electrohydrodynamics: MHD and Electrohydrodynamics
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 788 , 10 February 2016 , pp. 118 - 128
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Copyright
© 2016 Cambridge University Press 

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