Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / iii / Paper 314 / 4 / b

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.