Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 314 1 a Solution 2026-09-28
In the inertial frame, rigid corotation gives . The ideal magnetohydrodynamics condition is the motional electric fieldApply Gauss's law in Gaussian units and use the divergence and curl of a cross product:The exterior field is produced by currents inside the star, so there, while rotation with constant angular velocity has . Hence the required Goldreich-Julian charge density isHere denotes electric charge per unit volume, as in the question. If each carrier has charge , its signed number density is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 314 3 a Solution 2026-09-25
In the wing frame the unperturbed plasma moves with velocity . The ideal magnetohydrodynamics condition therefore produces the motional electric fieldThe wing's surface conductivity then gives the surface current densityIts direction also follows directly from the Lorentz force on the wing's mobile charges.