A three-dimensional model of corotating streams in the solar wind. I - Theoretical foundations
The paper is concerned with the development of the theoretical and mathematical background pertinent to the study of steady, corotating solar wind structure in all three spatial dimensions. The dynamical evolution of the plasma in interplanetary space (defined as the region beyond roughly 35 Rs where the flow is supersonic) is approximately described by the nonlinear, single-fluid, polytropic magnetohydrodynamic or hydrodynamic equations. Efficient numerical techniques are outlined for solving this complex system of coupled, hyperbolic partial differential equations. The present formulation is inviscid and nonmagnetic, but the methods used allow for the potential inclusion of both features with only modest modifications. A simple, highly idealized hydrodynamic model stream is examined to illustrate the fundamental processes involved in the three-dimensional dynamics of stream evolution. It is found that spatial variations in the rotational stream interaction mechanism produce small nonradial flows on a global scale that lead to the transport of mass, energy, and momentum away from regions of relative compression and into regions of relative rarefaction. Comparison with simpler models demonstrates the essential nonlinear, multidimensional nature of the interplanetary dynamics.