Re: [Phys-l] a magnetic filament snapped.

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@hep.anl.gov>]

This is plasma physics, which is not studied in elementary courses.
							Jack

On Fri, 21 Jul 2006, Chuck Britton wrote:

> from http://spaceweather.com/  (a nasa site)  I read:
>
> 		Yesterday on the sun, a magnetic filament snapped.
>
> I would like to think that some of my sharp HS students might wonder
> about the 'basic physics' involved here.
>
> I like to visualize 'lines of magnetic flux' as Faraday did.
> Basic physics says that these flux lines have no ends - so how can they 'snap'?
>
> I'm pretending to have an idea about how this could be, but would
> like some other input.
>
> 1st assumption:	nasa's statement has some merit, at least from a
> descriptive point of view.
> 2nd assumption:	we're talking about a very complex turbulent system
> of high speed
> 		charged particles associated with this flux filament.
>
> I can visualize a simple system that might have a bearing on this 'snap'.
>
> Two disk magnets put face-to-face will have a 'simple' B-field around them.
>
> If these two disks are forced apart from each other, the 'simple,
> single' field will separate into two 'simple' fields. This transition
> from one field to two separate fields is very complicated and I will
> invoke some complex turbulence to make an otherwise smooth transition
> into the 'snap'.
>
> Totally bogus oversimplification on my part???
>
> I like to pretend that large scale physical systems obey the basic
> laws of physics and that some sort of intuitive connection is
> possible. (WWFS - What Would Feynmann Say?)
>
> TIA - Nomex underwear has been donned.
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