Engineering topics

Cross, M. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Cross, M. A..

3 records

NASA NTRS1976

High conductivity magnetic tearing instability

Linearized equations of magnetohydrodynamics are used to investigate the tearing mode, for arbitrary values of the conductivity, through a consideration of the additional effect of the electron-inertia contribution to Ohm's law. A description is provided of the equilibrium and subsequent instability in the magnetohydrodynamic approximation. A method for solving the perturbation equations in the linear approximation is discussed and attention is given to the results in the high conductivity limit.

Cross, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Structures in a non-magnetic solar corona

A fluid mechanical convective instability is examined under the conditions found in the solar corona. Linearized density perturbations are shown to grow as they are carried outward by the solar wind. The non-linear instability may be proposed as a cause of coronal structures in nonmagnetic stars, or in regions of the solar corona with weak magnetic fields.

Cross, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Inertial magnetic field reconnection and magnetospheric substorms.

We describe and calculate the growth rate of a magnetohydrodynamic neutral-sheet instability due to electron-inertia terms in the infinite-conductivity Ohm's law. The results are compared with an approximate Vlasov-equation calculation, and are shown to be particularly germane to the geomagnetic-tail instability.

Van Hoven, G.↗