Postgraduate Course: Magnetohydrodynamics I (MATH11267)
Course Outline
| School | School of Mathematics |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Magnetic fields are of vital importance in astrophysics and geophysics, playing crucial roles in the dynamics of galaxies, stars (including star formation) and planets (including the Earth), and for magnetic confinement fusion. Magnetohydrodynamics, or MHD for short, is concerned with understanding the nature of fluid flows in the presence of magnetic fields, It therefore combines electromagnetic theory with fluid dynamics. This course gives a basic introduction to MHD, detailing how magnetic fields can have significant effects on the nature of flow fluids, including the important topic of plasma confinement in fusion devices. |
| Course description |
Introduction to MHD through applications to astrophysics, geophysics and plasma confinement. Derivation of MHD equations from Maxwell's equations. MHD approximation; the induction equation and the Lorentz force. Simple consequences of the induction equation. Illustrative MHD flows. Alfven's theorem and flux-freezing. Properties of the Lorentz Force; hydromagnetic equilibrium and plasma confinement; force-free field configurations. MHD waves.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 10,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
64 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
80 %,
Coursework
20 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Examination: 80%
Coursework: 20% |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the basic properties of electrically conduction fluids. In particular they should be acquianted with the induction equation
- the importance of stretching and diffusion
- the role of the Lorentz force and its relevance to plasma confinement
- the dynamics of magnetic waves
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Reading List
Roberts P.H., An Introduction to Magnetohydrodynamics, 1967, Longman
Priest E. Solar MHD, 1982, Reidel
Choudhuri A-R The Physics of Fluids and Plasmas, 1998, CUP |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Magnetohydrodynamics |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Moritz Linkmann
Tel: (0131 6)50 5060
Email: Moritz.Linkmann@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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