Related papers: Ideal Relaxation of the Hopf Fibration
This paper studies the nonlinear evolution of magnetic field turbulence in proximity of steady ideal MHD configurations characterized by a small electric current, a small plasma flow, and approximate flux surfaces, a physical setting that…
We investigate the existence of magnetohydrostatic equilibria for topologically complex magnetic fields. The approach employed is to perform ideal numerical relaxation experiments. We use a newly-developed Lagrangian relaxation scheme that…
We perform full-MHD simulations on various initially helical configurations and show that they reconfigure into a state where the magnetic field lines span nested toroidal surfaces. This relaxed configuration is not a Taylor state, as is…
Predicting the final state of turbulent plasma relaxation is an important challenge, both in astrophysical plasmas such as the Sun's corona and in controlled thermonuclear fusion. Recent numerical simulations of plasma relaxation with…
Parker's formulation of isotopological plasma relaxation process toward minimum magnetics energy states in magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is extended to electron MHD (EMHD). The lower bound on magnetic energy in EMHD is determined by both the…
Ideal magnetohydrodynamics (IMHD) is strongly constrained by an infinite number of microscopic constraints expressing mass, entropy and magnetic flux conservation in each infinitesimal fluid element, the latter preventing magnetic…
A unified energy principle approach is presented for analysing the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability of plasmas consisting of multiple ideal and relaxed regions. By choosing an appropriate gauge, we show that the plasma displacement…
Stability and reconnection of magnetic fields play a fundamental role in natural and man-made plasma. In these applications the field's topology determines the stability of the magnetic field. Here I will describe the importance of one…
A general formulation of the problem of calculating the spectrum of stable and unstable eigenmodes of linearized perturbations about a magnetically confined toroidal plasma is presented. The analysis is based on a new hydromagnetic…
Magnetic relaxation drives plasma toward lower-energy equilibria under helicity constraints. In ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), helicity is locally conserved, while resistive theories such as Taylor relaxation preserve only global…
Equations describing plasma equilibria are derived from the total energy of the system. The MHD equilibrium is shown to hold even for systems where the magnetic field may locally vanish. Through conservation of helicity, confinement is…
We study the resistive evolution of a localized self-organizing magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium. In this configuration the magnetic forces are balanced by a pressure force caused by a toroidal depression in the pressure. Equilibrium is…
Axisymmetric relaxed states of a cylindrical plasma column are found analytically in both standard and Hall magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) by complete minimization of energy with constraints imposed by invariants inherent in corresponding…
The relaxation of a helical magnetic field ${\bf B}({\bf x}, t)$ in a high-conductivity plasma contained in the annulus between two perfectly conducting coaxial cylinders is considered. The plasma is of low density and its pressure is…
We describe a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) constrained energy functional for equilibrium calculations that combines the topological constraints of ideal MHD with elements of Taylor relaxation. Extremizing states allow for partially chaotic…
Magnetic field topology frozen in ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and its breakage in near ideal MHD are reviewed in two parts. The first part gives a physically complete description of the frozen in field topology, taking magnetic flux…
In ideal MHD, the magnetic flux is advected by the plasma motion, freezing flux-surfaces into the flow. An MHD equilibrium is reached when the flow relaxes and force balance is achieved. We ask what classes of MHD equilibria can be accessed…
Context. For the last thirty years, most of the studies on the relaxation of stressed magnetic fields in the solar environment have onlyconsidered the Lorentz force, neglecting plasma contributions, and therefore, limiting every equilibrium…
We present an analytical model of the self-consistent equilibrium of a magnetic flux rope which is obtained in cylindrical geometry. The equilibrium azimuthal magnetic field and plasma pressure are determined in a self-consistent way…
We revisit the issue of conservation of magnetic helicity and the Woltjer-Taylor relaxation theory in magnetohydrodynamics in the context of weak solutions. We introduce a relaxed system for the ideal MHD system, which decouples the effects…