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Evolution of the Orszag-Tang vortex system in a compressible medium. I - Initial average subsonic flowThe results of fully compressible, Fourier collocation, numerical simulations of the Orszag-Tang vortex system are presented. The initial conditions for this system consist of a nonrandom, periodic field in which the magnetic and velocity field contain X points but differ in modal structure along one spatial direction. The velocity field is initially solenoidal, with the total initial pressure field consisting of the superposition of the appropriate incompressible pressure distribution upon a flat pressure field corresponding to the initial, average Mach number of the flow. In these numerical simulations, this initial Mach number is varied from 0.2-0.6. These values correspond to average plasma beta values ranging from 30.0 to 3.3, respectively. It is found that compressible effects develop within one or two Alfven transit times, as manifested in the spectra of compressible quantities such as the mass density and the nonsolenoidal flow field. These effects include (1) a retardation of growth of correlation between the magnetic field and the velocity field, (2) the emergence of compressible small-scale structure such as massive jets, and (3) bifurcation of eddies in the compressible flow field. Differences between the incompressible and compressible results tend to increase with increasing initial average Mach number.
Document ID
19900026915
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Dahlburg, R. B.
(Naval Research Lab. Washington, DC, United States)
Picone, J. M.
(U.S. Navy, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1989
Publication Information
Publication: Physics of Fluids B
Volume: 1
ISSN: 0899-8221
Subject Category
Plasma Physics
Accession Number
90A13970
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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