A new family of solutions of the force-free field equation

Abstract

A new family of solutions has been found for force-free magnetic fields and Beltrami flows, which admits a complete classification in terms of the eigenvalues of the problem. In the absence of boundary values to determine them uniquely, the eigenvalues correspond to the entire set of real numbers, except for zero. The eigenvalues are degenerate in that each eigenvalue has many eigensolutions associated with it. For each eigensolution we have been able to identify sets of equilibrium or null points and lines. The linear mappings of these null points and lines are all unstable. Finally, we derive the first integral of energy associated with this family of solutions.