The adiabatic stability of stars containing magnetic fields. IV - Mixed poloidal and toroidal fields
Abstract
The stability of axisymmetric non-rotating stars containing mixed poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields is studied. It is shown that, if there is a non-zero current density on the axis of symmetry, the system is unstable. If the current density on the symmetry axis vanishes, the magnitude of the toroidal field is comparable with that of the poloidal field and the magnetic pressure is very small compared with the gas pressure, it seems probable that the system is stable but this result can only be confirmed by a much more detailed investigation of particular stellar models. A previous result concerning the instability of purely toroidal fields, which has recently been questioned, is confirmed and discussed further.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- April 1980
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/191.1.151
- Bibcode:
- 1980MNRAS.191..151T
- Keywords:
-
- Magnetic Field Configurations;
- Magnetohydrodynamic Stability;
- Stellar Magnetic Fields;
- Stellar Models;
- Thermodynamic Equilibrium;
- Compressibility Effects;
- Current Density;
- Toroids;
- Astrophysics