Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / iii / Paper 314 (Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics)

Let $D/Dt={\partial }_t+\mathbf{u}\cdot \nabla$ be the material derivative, and write $h$ for specific enthalpy. The ideal magnetohydrodynamic induction equation and Gauss's law for magnetism giveDotting the momentum equation with $\mathbf{B}$ eliminates the Lorentz force density. Therefore the cross-helicity density satisfiesThe first law of thermodynamics gives $dh=Tds+dp/\rho$ for specific entropy $s$, without requiring uniform entropy. ConsequentlySince $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{B}=0$, the first term on the right is a divergence. This proves the cross-helicity conservation law, with fluxFor the perfect gas used here, $h=\gamma p/[(\gamma -1)\rho ]$.

The calculation in part (a) leaves the cross-helicity conservation law sourceAt positive temperature, this vanishes exactly when the magnetic field is tangent to constant-specific entropy surfaces: $\mathbf{B}\cdot \nabla s=0$. A homentropic flow is a sufficient special case; uniform entropy throughout space is not necessary. Mere advection of specific entropy, $Ds/Dt=0$, constrains its variation along the velocity rather than along the magnetic field, so it does not by itself eliminate this source. To conserve total cross-helicity in a volume, the net boundary flux must also vanish.

For uniform specific entropy, the material conservation of cross-helicity density criterion isThus the requested condition isIn the steady state, mass conservation gives $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{u}=-\mathbf{u}\cdot \nabla \log \rho$. An equivalent form, expressed entirely in the flow and thermodynamic variables, isIf “isentropic” means only constant specific entropy along individual trajectories, rather than a homentropic flow, the general criterion instead retains $T\mathbf{B}\cdot \nabla s$ on the right-hand side of the material derivative equation. The distinction matters because a source-free cross-helicity conservation law need not make $h_c$ constant along each trajectory.

In the shock frame, integrate mass conservation, momentum conservation, and total-energy conservation across a thin interval containing the stationary normal shock wave. No mass, momentum, or energy is stored in the vanishingly thin interval, so each flux has the same value on both sides. For a perfect gas, the specific enthalpy is $h=\gamma p/[(\gamma -1)\rho ]$. The resulting Rankine-Hugoniot conditions for a perfect gas areThe momentum flux includes both transported momentum and pressure force. The energy flux includes kinetic energy and enthalpy, the latter accounting for internal energy and the work needed to push gas through the interval. Entropy production can occur inside the normal shock wave even though total energy is conserved.

Let $m={\rho }_1{u}_1={\rho }_2{u}_2$ be the signed mass flux. Momentum conservation givesDividing the energy-flux equation by $m$ and eliminating $m^2$ yields the pressure-density Hugoniot relation for a perfect gas:With $P=p_2/p_1$ and $D={\rho }_2/{\rho }_1$, this becomesSolving for the mass density ratio givesFor a compressive normal shock wave, $P>1$ and $D>1$; as $P\to \infty$, the finite shock compression ratio is $(\gamma +1)/(\gamma -1)$.

For a perfect gas with constant specific heat capacity $c_v$, the first law of thermodynamics givesUsing the pressure-density Hugoniot relation for a perfect gas, the entropy production in a perfect-gas shock is thereforeThis is positive for $P>1$, as required by the Second law of thermodynamics for the physical compressive normal shock wave.

Put $S(P)=[s]/c_v$. Differentiating the expression in part (c) givesFor $P=1+\delta$, the denominator is $4{\gamma }^2+O(\delta )$, soIntegrating from the unshocked state, where $S(1)=0$, proves the cubic entropy production in a perfect-gas shock:The first-order and second-order terms vanish: a weak shock agrees with reversible compression through second order.

For $N$ equal weak shocks, $(1+\delta {)}^N=P_s$, henceAdding the individual increases in specific entropy gives the entropy production in successive weak shocksBy contrast, a single normal shock wave with the same total pressure ratio givesThus a single strong shock produces more entropy than the chain of sufficiently small weak shocks. At fixed $P_s$, the chain approaches zero entropy production as $\delta \to 0$, while the single-shock result stays positive. The gradual compression approaches reversible isentropic flow.

With no dependence on the azimuthal or axial coordinates, Gauss's law for magnetism in cylindrical coordinates givesRegularity at the axis forces $C=0$, so $B_R=0$. The radial component of the magnetostatic Ampère-Maxwell equation isConsequentlyThis is also the starting point of cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance.

The remaining magnetic field has $\mathbf{B}=B_{\varphi }(R){\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }+B_z(R){\mathbf{e}}_z$. The radial Lorentz force density separates into a magnetic pressure gradient and inward magnetic tension:Here $(\mathbf{B}\cdot \nabla )\mathbf{B}$ has radial component $-B_{\varphi }^2/R$ because ${\partial }_{\varphi }{\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }=-{\mathbf{e}}_R$. Thus magnetostatic equilibrium givesIntegrating the axial component of the magnetostatic Ampère-Maxwell equation gives $I(R)=cR{B}_{\varphi }/2$, since regularity removes the integration constant. Substituting $B_{\varphi }=2I/(cR)$ combines the toroidal terms intoThis is the cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance equation in terms of enclosed electric current.

For constant $B_z$, cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance givesRegularity gives $I(0)=0$. With $x=R^2/a^2$, integration yields the power-law pressure-supported axial currentThe sign of $I$ may be chosen either way and fixes the sense of the toroidal magnetic field. For $p_0>0$ and nontrivial decreasing pressure ($k>0$), the integral converges at infinity precisely whenAt $k=1$ it diverges logarithmically; for $0<k<1$ it diverges as $R^{2(1-k)}$. The degenerate case $k=0$ has constant pressure and zero electric current.

Setting $I=0$ in cylindrical magnetostatic pressure balance gives $p+B_z^2/(8\pi )=\mathrm{constant}$. The axial boundary value sets this constant to $p_0$. Thus the magnetic pressure support with vanishing axial field solution isThe azimuthal component of the magnetostatic Ampère-Maxwell equation givesSince $1-e^{-R^2/a^2}=R^2/a^2+O(R^4)$, the radial limit isThere is a regularity subtlety: $B_z\sim \sigma \sqrt{8\pi p_0}R/a$ is not a smooth function of Cartesian position at the axis, and the nonzero limiting $j_{\varphi }$ multiplies an azimuthal unit vector with no unique direction there. These formulas solve the radial problem for $R>0$ and give the requested scalar limit, but the data in this part do not admit the fully smooth vector-field regularity assumed in part (a).

Align the polar axis with the magnetic dipole moment. The magnetic dipole field hasThe magnetic-field-line equation gives $dr/(rd\theta )=2\cot \theta$, hence the dipole magnetic-field line is $r=C{\sin }^2\theta$. Normalize the loaded bundle by its small surface angular radius ${\theta }_{\star }$ at $r=R_{\star }$. Its boundary obeysThe dipolar flux-tube area for one polar cap is consequentlyEquivalently, $BA$ is constant by conservation of magnetic flux and $B\propto r^{-3}$ near the axis. Two equal loaded caps double the total area. The $r^3$ scaling is independent of the normalization; if the loading angle is specified at another radius $r_L$, use $A(r)=\pi {\theta }_L^2{r}^3/r_L$ instead.

In the narrow polar flux tube, the magnetic field lines are almost radial and the transverse width is much smaller than the radial scale. The Lorentz force density has no component along the magnetic field, so the longitudinal magnetically channelled accretion is hydrodynamic. Let $v(r)>0$ denote inward speed. Mass conservation, the Euler equations for an inviscid fluid, and the polytropic equation of state giveUsing the adiabatic sound speed $c^2=\gamma K{\rho }^{\gamma -1}$ and $A\propto r^3$,The Bernoulli equation iswhere the right-hand side comes from matching to a nearly stationary reservoir with negligible gravitational potential. The fixed magnetic field provides transverse confinement; neglecting magnetic forces in this one-dimensional equation concerns their longitudinal component.

A regular sonic point must make both sides of the flow equation vanish:Substituting into the Bernoulli equation yieldsFor $\gamma >1$, positive finite sound speed therefore requires the critical adiabatic index for dipolar accretionTo check that this gives real regular crossings, differentiate the flow equation at the sonic point and put $x=r_s{v}_s^{\prime }/c_s$. The transonic accretion in a power-law tube calculation givesThe minus sign gives the transonic branch whose Mach number increases inward. At $\gamma =7/5$ the positive-energy reservoir cannot match a finite sonic point; for larger $\gamma$ the required $c_s^2$ is negative. A physical surface-crossing solution also requires $r_s>R_{\star }$ and validity of the narrow flux tube approximation up to the sonic region.

The transonic accretion in a dipolar flux tube values areThe mass density follows from $c^2/c_0^2=(\rho /{\rho }_0{)}^{\gamma -1}$ for the same polytropic equation of state. If $A_{\star }$ is the total loaded area at the surface, mass conservation at the sonic point givesFor two equal polar caps with surface angular radius ${\theta }_{\star }$, $A_{\star }\simeq 2\pi R_{\star }^2{\theta }_{\star }^2$, so the total mass accretion rate isFor only one loaded polar cap, divide this expression by two. Expressing the result first in $A_{\star }$ also covers a bundle whose loading angle is defined at another radius. The smooth isothermal limit $\gamma \to 1$ has $r_s=G{M}_{\star }/(3c_0^2)$, $c_s=c_0$, and ${\rho }_s=e^{5/2}{\rho }_0$.

The dipole magnetic-field line geometry gives the angular radius at the sonic point as ${\theta }_s\simeq {\theta }_{\star }\sqrt{r_s/R_{\star }}$. The sonic region must remain a narrow flux tube for the one-dimensional transonic branch equations to apply. Thus a necessary small-angle constraint isThis also makes the transverse sound-crossing time $r_s{\theta }_s/c_s$ small compared with the radial flow time $r_s/c_s$. The restriction must hold at any larger matching radius as well. To match to a reservoir with negligible gravitational potential within the same narrow dipolar approximation, one needs an overlap regionHence the stronger useful sufficient scaling is ${\theta }_{\star }^2\ll R_{\star }{c}_0^2/(G{M}_{\star })$. The small-angle dipolar model should not be extrapolated to literal infinity, where its boundary magnetic field line turns toward the equatorial plane.