dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaEvidence for a singularity in ideal magnetohydrodynamics: implications for fast reconnection
| Authors | Robert M. Kerr, Axel Brandenburg |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/9812017 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9812017 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.1155 |
Abstract
Numerical evidence for a finite-time singularity in ideal 3D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is presented. The simulations start from two interlocking magnetic flux rings with no initial velocity. The magnetic curvature force causes the flux rings to shrink until they come into contact. This produces a current sheet between them. In the ideal compressible calculations, the evidence for a singularity in a finite time $t_c$ is that the peak current density behaves like $|J|_\infty \sim 1/(t_c-t)$ for a range of sound speeds (or plasma betas). For the incompressible calculations consistency with the compressible calculations is noted and evidence is presented that there is convergence to a self-similar state. In the resistive reconnection calculations the magnetic helicity is nearly conserved and energy is dissipated.
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"abstract": "Numerical evidence for a finite-time singularity in ideal 3D\nmagnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is presented. The simulations start from two\ninterlocking magnetic flux rings with no initial velocity. The magnetic\ncurvature force causes the flux rings to shrink until they come into contact.\nThis produces a current sheet between them. In the ideal compressible\ncalculations, the evidence for a singularity in a finite time $t_c$ is that the\npeak current density behaves like $|J|_\\infty \\sim 1/(t_c-t)$ for a range of\nsound speeds (or plasma betas). For the incompressible calculations consistency\nwith the compressible calculations is noted and evidence is presented that\nthere is convergence to a self-similar state. In the resistive reconnection\ncalculations the magnetic helicity is nearly conserved and energy is\ndissipated.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/9812017",
"authors": [
"Robert M. Kerr",
"Axel Brandenburg"
],
"categories": [
"physics.plasm-ph",
"astro-ph",
"chao-dyn",
"nlin.CD"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.1155",
"title": "Evidence for a singularity in ideal magnetohydrodynamics: implications for fast reconnection",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9812017"
},
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