Evolution of a vortex in a magnetic field (Q1577303)

The evolution of a single vortex in an electrically conducting liquid subjected to a uniform magnetic field parallel to the axis of the vortex is investigated by an order-of-magnitude analysis (o.m.a.) and by using a numerical model. The o.m.a. for the nonlinear evolution of a vortex is based on three ideas: the component of the angular momentum parallel to the field is conserved; the energy is conserved; a true interaction parameter, defined here as the actual ratio of Lorentz to inertial force, is a constant of order unity if the inertial and Lorentz forces balance each other. The authors demonstrate that the global evolution of the vortex can be fully described in this regime, and, as show numerical studies, even in the regime with energy decay in the nonlinear phase at finite time. The analysis shows that the process of vortex evolution begins with a linear phase and ends with a nonlinear one, and the energy decay obeys different laws in the two phases.