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A stationary axisymmetric magnetic field in ideal purely rotational flow requires constant angular velocity along the magnetic field lines of its poloidal magnetic field. Otherwise axisymmetric magnetic winding generates a time-dependent toroidal component.

For Keplerian rotation, initial $B_R\propto R^{-1}$ and thermal pressure $p\propto R^{-2}$, axisymmetric magnetic winding gives $B_{\varphi }=-(3/2)\Omega t{B}_R$. If the initial plasma beta is ${\beta }_p>1$, the formal equality of magnetic pressure and gas pressure occurs atThe magnetic-to-thermal pressure ratio decreases with radius, so magnetic pressure dominates inside this radius. In a disk with a finite radial range, an equality radius exists in the disk only when this formal radius lies within that range.

For an axisymmetric vector field, write $\mathbf{B}=B_R{\mathbf{e}}_R+B_{\varphi }{\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }+B_z{\mathbf{e}}_z$. Pure differential rotation givesThis vector has no azimuthal component and is independent of $\varphi$, so its curl has zero radial and vertical components. Its azimuthal component isThe final braces are $R\nabla \cdot \mathbf{B}=0$ by Gauss's law for magnetism. The ideal magnetohydrodynamic induction equation therefore yields axisymmetric magnetic winding:Differential rotation creates a toroidal magnetic field from the fixed poloidal magnetic field. A stationary field under the same purely rotational assumptions requires Ferraro's law of isorotation, ${\mathbf{B}}_p\cdot \nabla \Omega =0$.