Torsional Alfvén wave ($\rho R^2{\mu }_0{\partial }_t^2\Omega ={\mathbf{B}}_p\cdot \nabla (R^2{\mathbf{B}}_p\cdot \nabla \Omega )$)

A torsional Alfvén wave couples azimuthal velocity to a toroidal magnetic field around a fixed poloidal magnetic field. Axisymmetric induction gives ${\partial }_t{B}_{\varphi }=R{\mathbf{B}}_p\cdot \nabla \Omega$ and magnetic tension gives $\rho R^2{\mu }_0{\partial }_t\Omega ={\mathbf{B}}_p\cdot \nabla (R{B}_{\varphi })$. Their combination is the displayed wave equation. Its local dispersion relation is ${\omega }^2=(\mathbf{k}\cdot {\mathbf{B}}_p{)}^2/({\mu }_0\rho )$.

For uniform-density incompressible flow with $u_{\varphi }=f(R,z+vt)+g(R,z-vt)$, $B_{\varphi }/\sqrt{{\mu }_0\rho }=f-g$ and $B_z/\sqrt{{\mu }_0\rho }=v(R)$, the azimuthal magnetohydrodynamic momentum equation and ideal magnetohydrodynamic induction equation hold automatically. Let $\Pi =p/\rho +\Phi +[(f-g{)}^2+v^2]/2$. The remaining equations require ${\Pi }_z=0$ and ${\Pi }_R=4fg/R$, so ${\partial }_z(fg)=0$ is necessary and locally sufficient. A single traveling profile is unrestricted; two nonzero profiles on an unrestricted axial domain must be opposite exponentials or independent of their traveling arguments. Bounded profiles of both signs therefore reduce to steady solutions.

For a rotating conducting sphere, a geostrophic azimuthal velocity $U=rV$ couples to the cylinder-integrated magnetic stress $T=\int B_r{B}_{\varphi }dz$. Put $H=\int B_r^{2}dz$ and let $2z_b$ be the cylinder height. With an insulating boundary and no flow through it, cylindrical averaging removes the Coriolis force and gives $U_t=(2z_b{\mu }_0\rho r^2{)}^{-1}{\partial }_r(r^{2}T)$, $T_t=Hr{\partial }_r(U/r)$. The local squared wave speed is $H/(2z_b{\mu }_0\rho )$, the cylinder average of $B_r^2/({\mu }_0\rho )$.

For a cylinder-averaged torsional Alfvén wave with time-independent $H>0$, differentiating this quadratic form gives $dE/dt=[rUT{]}_0^a$. Regularity at the axis and vanishing magnetic torque at the outer endpoint therefore imply conservation. By Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, $T^2/H\le \int B_{\varphi }^{2}dz$; equality holds for the torsional-wave magnetic component proportional to $B_r$ along each cylinder. A stationary magnetic component orthogonal to $B_r$ is invisible to $T$.

The magnetic tension stress transports axial angular momentum along a poloidal magnetic field. In purely azimuthal ideal flow the poloidal energy flux is ${\mathbf{F}}_{E,p}=\Omega {\mathbf{F}}_{J,p}$. This proportionality is valid even at vanishing flux, where an ordinary ratio is undefined. The coupled fluxes explain how a torsional Alfvén wave redistributes rotation.