Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 60 1 iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the central-field identity and substitute the prescribed relation between the toroidal magnetic field and axial magnetic field:The flux-tube axial field virial identity bounds the last average by , while . Therefore the uniform-twist central axial field bound isThe stronger exact expression is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 60 1 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
A toroidal magnetic field introduces an inward hoop force. In cylindrical coordinates, the radial magnetic tension is , so cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance in SI units becomesAt the field-free boundary . HenceRegularity on the axis gives , which makes the integral finite and gives . Evaluating at the axis proves the central-field identity:The positive hoop-tension contribution allows the central axial field to exceed without negative pressure. For an explicit regular example, put , choose a constant and , and take inside the flux tubeSubstitution verifies the radial balance, with continuous zero field at and positive gas pressure. For , , the central value is .
To obtain the cross-sectional average, multiply the radial balance by and integrate by parts:The toroidal contributions cancel. The resulting flux-tube axial field virial identity isThis is at most , and is strictly smaller whenever the weighted pressure integral is positive. In particular, continuous matching with guarantees strictness. If only is assumed without a nondegenerate gas or continuous positive boundary pressure, the justified conclusion is the non-strict bound; the identity specifies exactly when equality occurs.
Uniform-twist central axial field bound 2026-10-06
For a flux tube with , regularity at the axis and cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance give . The flux-tube axial field virial identity and give the bound. A twisted toroidal magnetic field can support a central axial field above the untwisted magnetic pressure limit even though its cross-sectional mean obeys that limit.