Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 314 4 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
In the Gaussian units of the paper, the total magnetic pressure is . Define the initial plasma beta , assuming a nonzero initial field. The solution from part (b) givesFor any this ratio decreases strictly with , tends to infinity as and tends to as . The magnetic-pressure equality radius under Keplerian winding is therefore unique in the formal profile on :The same expression proves for and for . At equality, , justifying the toroidal-dominated approximationThe source's existence claim refers to the indefinitely extended radial profile and the stated neglect of back-reaction. For a disk with a finite inner and outer edge, an equality radius lies in the disk only while the displayed value lies between those edges. If the initial field were zero, no magnetic winding or equality radius would occur.