Azimuthally symmetric magnetohydrodynamic and two-fluid equilibria with arbitrary flows

Abstract

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and two-fluid quasi-neutral equilibria with azimuthal symmetry, gravity and arbitrary ratios of (non-relativistic) flow speed to acoustic and Alfvén speeds are investigated. In the two-fluid case, the mass ratio of the two species is arbitrary, and the analysis is therefore applicable to electron-positron plasmas. The methods of derivation can be extended in an obvious manner to several charged species. Generalized Grad-Shafranov equations, describing the equilibrium magnetic field, are derived. Flux-function equations and Bernoulli relations for each species, together with Poisson's equation for the gravitational potential, complete the set of equations required to determine the equilibrium. These are straightforward to solve numerically. The two-fluid system, unlike the MHD system, is shown to be free of singularities. It is demonstrated analytically that there exists a class of incompressible MHD equilibria with magnetic field-aligned flow. A special subclass first identified by S. Chandrasekhar, in which the flow speed is everywhere equal to the local Alfvén speed, is compatible with virtually any azimuthally symmetric magnetic configuration. Potential applications of this analysis include extragalactic and stellar jets, accretion discs, and plasma structures associated with active late-type stars.