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Multi‐tube model for interplanetary magnetic clouds
Author(s) -
Osherovich Vladimir A.,
Fainberg J.,
Stone R. G.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1998gl900306
Subject(s) - polytropic process , polytrope , magnetic cloud , physics , rope , magnetohydrodynamics , flux tube , tube (container) , superposition principle , mechanics , symmetry (geometry) , magnetic flux , interplanetary spaceflight , astrophysics , solar wind , magnetic field , plasma , geometry , materials science , nuclear physics , structural engineering , mathematics , quantum mechanics , engineering , composite material
Measurements of the polytropic index γ inside a magnetic cloud showed that there are two non‐equal tubes inside the cloud [ Fainberg et al. , 1996; Osherovich et al. , 1997]. For both tubes, γ < 1, but each tube has its own polytrope. We test equilibrium solutions which are a superposition of solutions with cylindrical and helical symmetry [ Krat and Osherovich, 1978] as a new paradigm for a multi‐tube model. Comparison of magnetic and gas pressure profiles for these bounded MHD states with observations suggests that complex magnetic clouds can be viewed as multiple helices embedded in a cylindrically symmetric flux rope.