On the stability of Alfven discontinuity

TY - JOUR

T1 - On the stability of Alfven discontinuity

AU - Ilin, K.I.

AU - Trakhinin, Yuri

PY - 2006/10

Y1 - 2006/10

N2 - The stability of Alfvén discontinuities for the equations of ideal compressible magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) is studied. The Alfvén discontinuity is a characteristic discontinuity for the hyperbolic system of MHD equations but, as in the case of shock waves, there is a mass flux through its front. The Lopatinskii condition for a planar Alfvén discontinuity is tested numerically, and the domain in the space of parameters of the discontinuity where it is unstable is determined. In fact, in this domain the Alfvén discontinuity is not only unstable, but the initial-boundary-value problem for corresponding linearized equations is ill-posed in the sense of Hadamard.

AB - The stability of Alfvén discontinuities for the equations of ideal compressible magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) is studied. The Alfvén discontinuity is a characteristic discontinuity for the hyperbolic system of MHD equations but, as in the case of shock waves, there is a mass flux through its front. The Lopatinskii condition for a planar Alfvén discontinuity is tested numerically, and the domain in the space of parameters of the discontinuity where it is unstable is determined. In fact, in this domain the Alfvén discontinuity is not only unstable, but the initial-boundary-value problem for corresponding linearized equations is ill-posed in the sense of Hadamard.

KW - plasma Alfven waves,

KW - plasma instability,

KW - plasma magnetohydrodynamics,

KW - plasma shock waves,

KW - mass transfer,

KW - numerical analysis,

KW - initial value problems

U2 - 10.1063/1.2354572

DO - 10.1063/1.2354572

M3 - Article

SN - 1070-664X

VL - 13

SP - 1

EP - 8

JO - Physics of Plasmas

JF - Physics of Plasmas

IS - 110/102101

ER -