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For density proportional to ${\mathrm{sech}}^2(z/H)$, the magnetic vertical equation $F^{\prime \prime }+k^2{\mathrm{sech}}^2(z/H)F=0$ becomes the Legendre differential equation under $\xi =\tanh (z/H)$. Bounded solutions at both surfaces are Legendre polynomials, with $k_n=\sqrt{n(n+1)}/H$. The $n=0$ constant function has no magnetically coupled finite wavenumber. The smallest MRI-relevant eigenvalue is $k_1^2=2/H^2$, which makes sufficiently strong magnetic tension stabilize all allowed modes.

Inspection gives $y_1=x$ in the degree-one Legendre differential equation. After division by $1-x^2$, $p=-2x/(1-x^2)$ and $e^{-\int p}=1/(1-x^2)$. On either side of zero, reduction of order therefore givesA second solution is $y_2=x\mathrm{arctanh}x-1$. Although $v$ is singular at zero, the product $v{y}_1$ has a smooth continuation throughout $(-1,1)$. This illustrates reduction of order across a zero of the known solution. Since $y_1(0)=0$, $y_1^{\prime }(0)=1$, $y_2(0)=-1$ and $y_2^{\prime }(0)=0$, the required coefficients are $1,-1$. HenceThe ordinary differential equation has regular coefficients near zero, so the resulting initial-value solution is unique and the removable singularity in the intermediate representation causes no ambiguity.

Substitute $y(x)={\sum }_{j\ge 0}{c}_j{x}^j$ into the Legendre differential equation. Matching the coefficient of $x^j$ givesChoose the parity of $n$: start with nonzero $c_0$ for even $n$, or nonzero $c_1$ for odd $n$, and set the other parity to zero. The numerator is nonzero for every preceding index of that parity below $n$, so $c_n\ne 0$, but at $j=n$ it vanishes. All higher coefficients are zero. This constructs a nonzero polynomial solution of degree exactly $n$.

Its value at $x=1$ cannot be zero. If it had a zero there of multiplicity $k\ge 1$, write $y=(x-1{)}^{k}R$ with $R(1)\ne 0$. The lowest-order term of $(1-x^2)y^{\prime \prime }-2x{y}^{\prime }$ would be $-2k^{2}R(1)(x-1{)}^{k-1}$, whereas $n(n+1)y$ starts at order $k$. The differential equation could not hold. Hence the polynomial can be scaled to satisfy $P_n(1)=1$.

The resulting Legendre polynomials beginEach satisfies both the differential equation and the specified normalization.

Set $U=R(r)\Theta (\theta )$ in the Laplace equation, multiply by $r^2/U$, and separate:Putting $x=\cos \theta$ turns the angular equation into the Legendre differential equation. For a solution smooth on the whole spherical axis, the allowed eigenvalues are $\lambda =n(n+1)$ with angular functions $P_n(\cos \theta )$. The radial equation has the two solutions $r^n,r^{-n-1}$. Superposition yields the regular axisymmetric expansionThe coefficients and convergence region are set by the domain and boundary data. Without regularity at the poles, singular Legendre functions and more general separated degrees would also be possible; they are excluded for this exterior spherical field.

The far-field matching fixes $A_1=v_0$ and all other growing coefficients to zero. The radial Neumann boundary condition at $r_0$ isIndependence of the angular modes gives $B_1=v_0{r}_0^3/2$ and all other decaying coefficients zero. Thus the exterior harmonic potential with no flux through a sphere isIts derivative vanishes on the sphere and its difference from $v_{0}r\cos \theta$ tends to zero at infinity. A spatial constant may be added if the far-field condition is intended only to specify the gradient or the leading growing term; matching the potential difference to zero fixes that constant to zero.

Set $\xi =\tanh (z/H)$, so $h=1-{\xi }^2$ and $d/dz=(1-{\xi }^2)H^{-1}d/d\xi$. The vertical equation becomesFor $|\xi |<1$, division by the common factor gives the Legendre differential equation with eigenvalue $k^2{H}^2$. Requiring boundedness at both surfaces $\xi =\pm 1$ selectsThe second independent solution is unbounded at an endpoint. These are the bounded vertical modes of a sech-squared magnetized disk. The division by $H$ is outside the square root, as in the original PDF; the converted TeX places it incorrectly. The magnetic perturbation involves $F_n^{\prime }$, which tends to zero at either surface.

The constant $n=0$ function has $k=0$. The specified magnetic ansatz contains $1/(ik)$ and must not be applied to it. A uniform horizontal velocity with no magnetic perturbation is an epicyclic motion, not a growing magnetic mode; the zero-wavenumber formal degeneracy does not provide growing MRI at arbitrary field strength. Nontrivial magnetically coupled vertical modes have $n\ge 1$.

For $A>0$, the magnetorotational instability grows when $A<3{\Omega }^2$. Indeed, the quadratic in $s^2$ then has a negative constant term, and one positive root. For $A\ge 3{\Omega }^2$, the two roots are nonpositive, since their sum is negative, their product nonnegative, and their discriminant is ${\Omega }^4+16{\Omega }^{2}A>0$. The smallest nonzero vertical eigenvalue is $k_1^2=2/H^2$, so all vertical modes are stable ifThe strict inequality requested gives stability, and equality is marginal for $n=1$. A sufficiently strong field increases magnetic tension. The unstable MRI needs a sufficiently long vertical wavelength to exchange angular momentum without excessive restoring tension; bounded vertical structure imposes a smallest nonzero effective wavenumber. Beyond the finite-thickness magnetorotational instability criterion, no allowed magnetic mode is long enough to remain unstable.

This subpart is also present in the original PDF but missing from the local TeX. Put $p(x)=1-x^2$ and ${\lambda }_n=n(n+1)$. Multiply the Legendre differential equation for $P_n$ by $P_m$, multiply the equation for $P_m$ by $P_n$, and subtract. The product rule givesIntegrating from $-1$ to $1$, the boundary term vanishes: $p(\pm 1)=0$, and the Legendre polynomials and their derivatives are finite there. For distinct nonnegative integers $m,n$, ${\lambda }_m\ne {\lambda }_n$. Thus the Orthogonality of Legendre polynomials isThe vanishing coefficient at the endpoints causes no difficulty here because the solutions are polynomials.

Differentiate the Legendre differential equation and put $Q_n=P_n^{\prime }$. This givesMultiplication by $1-x^2$ puts it in the self-adjoint formThe boundary term vanishes at $x=\pm 1$. Distinct eigenvalues are therefore orthogonal with weight $1-x^2$:

The integral representation $y_2=y_1\int e^{-\int p}/y_1^2$ is derived where $y_1\ne 0$. At a zero, its integral factor may have a pole while the product has a removable singularity. For regular coefficients, continue the actual second solution by its finite initial data and initial-value uniqueness; the Abel identity preserves a nonzero Wronskian. In the degree-one Legendre differential equation, $y_1=x$ and $y_2=x\mathrm{arctanh}x-1$ illustrate this cancellation at zero.