MHD waves at a tangential discontinuity with inclined magnetic fields and flows

Abstract

Propagation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves in inhomo- geneous magnetic plasmas is interesting from space and astrophysical point of view. In this study, the combined effect of non-parallel propagation, steady flow and inclined magnetic fields on either side of the tangential discontinuity is ex- amined, with change in the field strength of the magnetic field, though uniform in each layer. The density is also assumed to be different on both sides of the interfacial layer. It is assumed that the fluid is perfectly conducting, infinite in extent with an interface that supports both body waves as well as surface waves. This model will also support fast, Alfven and slow modes depending on the parametric values of the system. Some special cases are discussed briefly. These modes may have interesting applications in the solar corona and solar wind.