An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The process whereby the magnetic field tends to diffuse across the plasma and to smooth out any local inhomogeneities under the influence of a finite resistance in the plasma. For a stationary plasma the → induction equation becomes a pure → diffusion equation:

∂B/∂t = D_m∇²B, where

D_m = (μ₀σ₀)^-1 is the → magnetic diffusivity.

See also: → magnetic; → diffusion.