Electromagnetic fields simulating a rotating sphere and its exterior with implications to the modeling of the heliosphere

Abstract

Vector displacements expressed in spherical coordinates are proposed. They correspond to electromagnetic fields in vacuum that globally rotate about an axis and display many circular patterns on the surface of a ball. The fields satisfy the set of Maxwell's equations, and some connections with magnetohydrodynamics can also be established. The solutions are extended with continuity outside the ball. In order to avoid peripheral velocities of arbitrary magnitude, as it may happen for a rigid rotating body, they are organized to form successive encapsulated shells, with substructures recalling ball‐bearing assemblies. A recipe for the construction of these solutions is provided by playing with the eigenfunctions of the vector Laplace operator. Some applications relative to astronomy are finally discussed.