Magnetic-tension response to an incompressible displacement

ID: magnetic-tension-response-to-an-incompressible-displacement

In ideal magnetohydrodynamics, a small displacement of a uniform magnetic field obeys . For , a horizontal Fourier mode proportional to with gives the displayed field and force perturbations. The linear magnetic pressure perturbation vanishes because . The remaining magnetic tension acts as a restoring spring, with Alfvén frequency .

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