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MHD intermediate shock discontinuities. Part 1. Rankine—Hugoniot conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

C. F. Kennel ,
R. D. Blandford  and
P. Coppi
C. F. Kennel
Affiliation:
Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A.
R. D. Blandford
Affiliation:
Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A.
P. Coppi
Affiliation:
Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Recent numerical investigations have focused attention once more on the role of intermediate shocks in MHD. Four types of intermediate shock are identified using a graphical representation of the MHD Rankine-Hugoniot conditions. This same representation can be used to exhibit the close relationship of intermediate shocks to switch-on shocks and rotational discontinuities. The conditions under which intermediate discontinuities can be found are elucidated. The variations in velocity, pressure, entropy and magnetic-field jumps with upstream parameters in intermediate shocks are exhibited graphically. The evolutionary arguments traditionally advanced against intermediate shocks may fail because the equations of classical MHD are not strictly hyperbolic.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 42 , Issue 2 , October 1989 , pp. 299 - 319
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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References

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