A simple model for solar wind flow
Abstract
A simple analytic method based on the constant-density approximation for hypersonic flow was used to calculate the magnetic field between the earth's bow shock and the magnetopause. The method has the advantage of illustrating a number of points that a numerical solution masks. In particular, for an infinitely-conducting fluid, the magnetic field becomes infinite on the magnetopause. Denoting the angle between the magnetic and velocity field ahead of the shock by alpha, the magnetic field for alpha = 0 (aligned flow) is not represented near the magnetopause by the limit alpha approaching zero.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- April 1975
- Bibcode:
- 1975STIN...7611987S
- Keywords:
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- Bow Waves;
- Magnetic Fields;
- Magnetopause;
- Mathematical Models;
- Solar Wind Velocity;
- Flow Velocity;
- Hypersonic Flow;
- Shock Waves;
- Solar Physics