Free MHD Shear Layers In The Presence Of Rotation And Magnetic Field
Authors: E.J. Spence, A.H. Roach, E.M. Edlund, P. Sloboda and H. Ji
Abstract:
We present an experimental and numerical study of hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic
free shear layers and their stability. We first examine the experimental
measurement of globally unstable hydrodynamic shear layers in the presence of rotation,
and their range of instability. These are compared to numerical simulations,
which are used to explain the modification of the shear layer and thus the critical
Rossby number for stability. Magnetic fields are then applied to these scenarios, and
globally unstable magnetohydrodynamic shear layers generated. These too are compared
to numerical simulations, showing behavior consistent with the hydrodynamic
case and previously reported measurements.
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Submitted to: Physics of Plasmas (December 2011
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Download PPPL-4747 (pdf 4.58 MB 21 pp)
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