On the linear structure of the interlaced Alfvén vortices in the tail of Uranus at solstice

Abstract

Incompressible vortex flow are observed in a large variety of astrophysical plasmas such as the convection zone and the atmosphere of stars, in astrophysical jets in stellar winds and in planetary magnetospheres. More specifically, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations have shown that two large scale interlaced Alfvénic vortices structure the magnetic tail of Uranus at solstice time. Assuming identical vortices, we compute the general linear structure of the flow near their centers within the frame of ideal MHD. We then use the analytic results to interpret and qualify the vortices observed in a 3D MHD simulation of a fast rotating Uranus-type planet.