Deformation of current-carrying jets by nonviscous electrically conducting fluid

The change in the form of the transverse cross section of the jet under the action of the current flowing along it is investigated. The reults of computations for solitary current carrying jets of square and rectangular cross sections, and for systems of six and twelve azimuthally periodic jets with currents alternating in direction, are shown in figures. A solitary jet with square transverse cross section at the initial instant executes a periodic motion involving transition from square cross section, through circular, back to square rotated by 450 with respect to the initial section, and later going through circular cross section and returning to the initial position is shown in a figure. Other figures show similar deformations occuring with a solitary rectangular cross section, and deformations of the systems of jets which are accompanied by their radial separation. The authors note that the present formulation uses only geometric criteria of similarity; therefore the dependences of the deformations on time, presented in figures, are universal