Linearized ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations (linearized ideal MHD equations)

The linearized ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations retain terms first order in perturbations about a chosen ideal-MHD background. Around a uniform state they describe Alfvén waves and magnetosonic waves.

For nonresonant incompressible normal modes of a uniform-density shear flow with aligned uniform magnetic field, let $S=\sigma +k_{x}U(z)$, $k^2=k_x^2+k_y^2$ and $f=w/S$. The normal displacement is $f/i$. The linearized horizontal equations and incompressibility give $i{k}^2{p}_1=\rho (S{w}^{\prime }-S^{\prime }w)=\rho S^2{f}^{\prime }$. Substituting the ideal magnetohydrodynamic induction equation into normal momentum gives the displayed conservative equation. Across a zero-thickness shear layer, continuity of $f$ and of $(\rho S^2-k_x^2{B}^2)f^{\prime }$ supplies the interface conditions. They express common normal displacement and continuous perturbed magnetohydrodynamic total pressure, avoiding undefined products of distributional shear gradients.