Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Basic properties of magnetohydrodynamics
- 3 Magnetostatic equilibria
- 4 Normal modes and instability
- 5 Nonlinear evolution of MHD instabilities
- 6 Magnetic reconnection
- 7 MHD turbulence
- 8 Disruptive processes in tokamak plasmas
- 9 Dynamics of the reversed-field pinch
- 10 Solar flares
- Outlook
- References
- Index
Preface
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Basic properties of magnetohydrodynamics
- 3 Magnetostatic equilibria
- 4 Normal modes and instability
- 5 Nonlinear evolution of MHD instabilities
- 6 Magnetic reconnection
- 7 MHD turbulence
- 8 Disruptive processes in tokamak plasmas
- 9 Dynamics of the reversed-field pinch
- 10 Solar flares
- Outlook
- References
- Index
Summary
Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is the macroscopic theory of electrically conducting fluids, providing a powerful and practical theoretical framework for describing both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Most textbooks and monographs on the topic, however, concentrate on two particular aspects, magnetostatic equilibria and linear stability theory, while nonlinear effects, i.e. real magnetohydrodynamics, are considered only briefly if at all. I have therefore felt the need for a book with a special focus on the nonlinear aspects of the theory for some time.
In contrast to linear theory which, in particular in the limit of ideal MHD, rests on mathematically solid ground, nonlinear theory means adventures in a, mathematically speaking, hostile world, where few things can be proved rigorously. While in linear stability analysis numerical calculations are mainly quantitative evaluations, they obtain a different character in the study of nonlinear phenomena, which are often even qualitatively unknown. Hence this book frequently refers to results from numerical simulations, as a glance at the various illustrations reveals, but consideration is focused on the physics rather than the numerics.
In spite of the numerous references to the literature the book is essentially self-contained. Even the individual chapters can be studied quite independently as introductions to or current overviews of their particular topics.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Nonlinear Magnetohydrodynamics , pp. xiii - xivPublisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993