Magnetic pressure discontinuity in an isothermal atmosphere (${\rho }_{+}-{\rho }_{-}=(B_{-}^2-B_{+}^2)/(2{\mu }_0{c}_T^2)$)

Two uniform horizontal magnetic fields on either side of a horizontal interface exert no bulk force, but their magnetic pressures differ. For a common-temperature isothermal atmosphere with sound-speed squared $c_T^2=\mathcal{R}{T}_0$ and gravity $g$, hydrostatic equilibrium gives $p_i=c_T^2{\rho }_i$ and $p_i(z)=p_i(0)e^{-z/H}$, $H=c_T^2/g$. Continuity of magnetohydrodynamic total pressure gives the displayed density jump. A stronger field below means denser gas above, supplying a Rayleigh-Taylor instability even though each half-space is hydrostatic.

// Target: continuum-mechanics.bigb