Riemannian isometries of twisted magnetic flux tubes and stable current-carrying solar loops

Abstract

Two examples of the use of differential geometry in plasma physics are given: The first is the computation and solution of the constraint equations obtained from the Riemann metric isometry of the twisted flux tube. In this case a constraint between the Frenet torsion and curvature is obtained for inhomogeneous helical magnetic flux tube axis. In the second one, geometrical and topological constraints on the current-carrying solar loops are obtained by assuming that the plasma filament is stable. This is analogous to early computations by Liley [(Plasma Physics (1964)] in the case of hydromagnetic equilibria of magnetic surfaces. It is shown that exists a relationship between the ratio of the current components along and cross the plasma filament and the Frenet torsion and curvature. The computations are performed for the helical plasma filaments where torsion and curvature are proportional. The constraints imposed on the electric currents by the energy stability condition are used to solve the remaining magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) equations which in turn allows us to compute magnetic helicity and from them the twist and writhe topological numbers. Magnetic energy is also computed from the solutions of MHD equations.