Characteristics of magnetohydrodynamic waves in Harris-type current sheet with guide magnetic field By

K. W. Lee, L. N. Hau

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Abstract

An overview is presented of the characteristics of hydromagnetic waves propagating in Harris-type current sheet with magnetic field of Bx(z) × ̌ and an embedded guide By component based on the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. The wave equations are expressed in the (k, k, z) coordinates, and singularities are identified for general cases of ky≠0 and By ≠ 0, where k and k are the components of the wave vector parallel and perpendicular to the local magnetic field, respectively, and the inhomogeneity is in the z direction. The presence of By may lead to the rotation of the magnetic field relative to the wave vector so that a singular layer with k = 0 surrounded by a neighboring region of k ≠ 0 may exist. This result is in contrast with the Case of By = 0 for which Alfvén or field-line resonance associated with the mathematical singularity tends to occur for k ≠= 0 and ω = k CA, where C A is the Alfvén speed. The possibility for MHD waves with frequency ofω = k CA to propagate through the inhomogeneous layer with By ≠ 0 is analyzed, and numerical solutions for discrete eigenmodes with various free parameter values are presented.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberA12209
JournalJournal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume113
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Dec 2008

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