3-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES OF MAGNETOSTATIC ATMOSPHERES .6. EXAMPLES OFCOUPLED ELECTRIC-CURRENT SYSTEMS

Exact solutions are presented which describe the static equilibrium of atmospheres stratified by a uniform gravity, in the presence of magne tic fields lying in parallel vertical planes. These equilibrium states are composed of different, highly varied structures in these planes s tacked together in global equilibrium. They serve as simple models of three-dimensional, prominence-like condensations in the solar atmosphe re, and, in the main theme of this series of papers, as illustrative e xamples of equilibrium states with coupled cross-field and field-align ed electric current systems. The preceding paper in this series has po inted out that such equilibrium states are a distinct class of their o wn. A subset of the solutions presented describe a magnetostatic syste m closed by a simple equation of state, namely, an atmosphere which co nducts heat perfectly along the magnetic field but no heat across it. The stacking together of highly sheared, laminated magnetic fields, lo aded with different amounts of mass at a temperature varying from one magnetic flux plane to another, produces a rich variety of structural properties. Among the properties found is that periodic structures in adjacent magnetic flux planes can march out of step as a result of an irrational ratio between their periods, leading to extreme electric cu rrent densities despite the boundedness of the magnetic intensity and plasma pressure.