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Stability of magnetohydrodynamic shear flows with and without bounding walls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2005

ANATOLY S. LEONOVICH
Affiliation:
Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP), Russian Academy of Science, Siberian Branch, Irkutsk 33, PO Box 4026, 664033, Russia (leon@iszf.irk.ru)
VLADIMIR V. MISHIN
Affiliation:
Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP), Russian Academy of Science, Siberian Branch, Irkutsk 33, PO Box 4026, 664033, Russia (leon@iszf.irk.ru)

Abstract

We have solved the shear flow stability problem of compressible electrically conducting fluid (plasma) in a magnetic field. A comparative analysis is made of the influence of different boundary conditions on shear flow stability. We consider the problems for flows in an unbounded medium and a flow between fixed walls, as well as in the presence of a fixed wall on one side of the shear flow only. Shear flow velocity profiles are treated both in the form of a tangential discontinuity and as being described by a hyperbolic tangent function. For the case of an unbounded flow with a velocity vortex sheet, analytical solutions are found; for all other cases, the solutions are found numerically. Problems are solved for two different positions of the tangential wave vector of oscillations and magnetic field ${\bf k}_t\,{\perp}\, {\bf B}_0$ and ${\bf k}_t\,{\parallel}\, {\bf B}_0$. For shear flows bounded by a fixed wall we found an unstable mode of oscillations produced by the wave, reflected from the wall and transmitted through the shear layer.

Type
Papers
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

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