A Method for Determining Linear Solutions in Magnetohydrodynamics

Given any two-dimensional and incompressible flow describedby a set of linear partial differential equations, a methodis presented for determining the solution for the dependentvariables (velocity, pressure, etc.). The method is then usedto investigate the following magnetohydrodynamic flows. (a) The flow of an irrotational and inviscid fluid. (b) The flow of a viscous fluid. (c) The flow of an electrically conducting, inviscid fluid inthe presence of a magnetic field aligned with the flow at infinity. (d) The flow of an electrically conducting, viscous fluid inthe presence of a magnetic field having arbitrary direction.