Simple stationary waves in an inclined magnetic field

Abstract

One component of the solution to the problem of flow around a corner within the scope of magnetohydrodynamics, with the interception or stationary reflection of magnetohydrodynamic shock waves, and also steady-state problems comprising an ionizing shock wave, is the steady-state solution of the equations of magnetohydrodynamics, independent of length but depending on a combination of space variables, for example, on the angle. The flows described by these solutions are called stationary simple waves; they were considered for the first time in [1], where the behavior of the flow was investigated in stationary rotary simple waves, in which no change of density occurs. For a magnetic wave, of parallel velocity, the first integrals were found and the solution was reduced to a quadrature. The investigations and the applications of the solutions obtained for a qualitative construction of the problems of streamline flow were continued in [2–8]. In particular, problems were solved concerning flow around thin bodies of a conducting ideal gas. The general solution of the problem of streamline flow or the intersection of shock waves was not found because stationary simple waves with the magnetic field not parallel to the flow velocity were not investigated. The necessity for the calculation of such a flow may arise during the interpretation of the experimental results [9] in relation to the flow of an ionized gas. In the present paper, we consider stationary simple waves with the magnetic field not parallel to the flow velocity. A system of three nonlinear differential equations, describing fast and slow simple waves, is investigated qualitatively. On the basis of the pattern constructed of the behavior of the integral curves, the change of density, magnetic field, and velocity are found and a classification of the waves is undertaken, according to the nature of the change in their physical quantities. The relation between waves with outgoing and incoming characteristics is explained. A qualitative difference is discovered for the flow investigated from the flow in a magnetic field parallel to the flow velocity.