Electronic Journal of Differential Equations 15th annual Conference of Applied Mathematics, Univ. of Central Oklahoma,
Electron. J. Diff. Eqns., Conf. 02, 1999, pp. 93-103.

Numerical studies of vertically propagating acoustic and magneto-acoustic waves in an isothermal atmosphere

H. Y. Alkahby & F. N. Jalbout

Abstract:
In this paper we investigate numerically the effect of viscosity and Newtonian cooling on upward and downward propagating magneto-acoustic waves, resulting from a uniform horizontal magnetic field in an isothermal atmosphere. The results of the numerical computations are compared with those of asymptotic evaluations. It is shown that the presence of a small viscosity creates a layer which acts like an absorbing and reflecting barrier for waves generated below it and that the presence of the magnetic field produces a reflecting layer only. The addition of Newtonian cooling affects mainly the lower region in which it produces waves attenuation and alters the wavelength. If the Newtonian cooling coefficient is large compared with the frequency of the waves, the temperature in the lower region evens out and the wave motion approaches an isothermal one. This eliminates the attenuation in the wave amplitude since the isothermal region is dissipationless. This problem is solved analytically and numerically. The results of the numerical computation are in a complete agreement with the analytical results.

Published December 9, 1999.
Subject lassfications: 76N10, 76Q35.
Key words: magneto-acoustic waves, Newtonian cooling coefficient, wave propagation, reflection coefficient.

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Hadi Y. Alkahby
Division of the Natural Sciences
Dillard University
New Orleans,LA 70122 USA
e-mail: halkahby@aol.com   Tel.: 504-286-4731

Fouad N. Jalbout
Division of the Natural Sciences
Dillard University
New Orleans,LA 70122 USA


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