Open AccessOn nonideal MHD properties of the partially ionized interstellar gas
Author(s) -
Baranov Vladimir B.,
Fahr Hans J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2001ja009221
Subject(s) - magnetohydrodynamics , physics , heliosphere , magnetohydrodynamic drive , magnetic field , interstellar medium , plasma , solar wind , interplanetary magnetic field , ionization , computational physics , mechanics , astrophysics , ion , galaxy , quantum mechanics
The counterflow configuration resulting from the motion of the heliosphere through the ambient interstellar medium meanwhile has been described by several hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model approaches. The self‐consistent inclusion of interstellar and solar magnetic fields in presently existing MHD approaches has been achieved assuming the validity of ideal magnetohydrodynamics where frozen‐in magnetic field condition is fulfilled. This assumption is valid only, however, if the electrical conductivity of plasma is very high (i.e., magnetic Reynolds number Re m ≫ 1). As we are going to show here, the presence of neutral H atoms in the interstellar medium strongly questions this requirement and leads to a nonideal Ohm's law invalidating the frozen‐in field condition. The MHD modeling of the heliospheric interface thus has to be carried out on a new basis presented in this paper.