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Quarterly of Applied Mathematics

Quarterly of Applied Mathematics

Online ISSN 1552-4485; Print ISSN 0033-569X

   
 
 

 

A non-standard boundary value problem related to geomagnetism


Authors: Ralf Kaiser and Michael Neudert
Journal: Quart. Appl. Math. 62 (2004), 423-457
MSC: Primary 35Q60; Secondary 35R25, 35R30, 86A25, 93B30
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1090/qam/2086038
MathSciNet review: MR2086038
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Abstract | References | Similar Articles | Additional Information

Abstract: Consider the following boundary value problem in the exterior space ${\hat S^{d - 1}} = \left \{ {x \in {^d}:\left | x \right | > 1} \right \}$ of a sphere ${S^{d - 1}}$ in two and three dimensions $\left ( d = 2, 3 \right )$: Given a vector field $D:{S^{d - 1}} \to {^d}$ we ask for all harmonic vector fields $B:{\hat S^{d - 1}} \to {^d}$ which decay at least as fast as a dipole field at infinity and are parallel to D on ${S^{d - 1}}$ i.e. there is $f:{S^{d - 1}} \to$ such that $B = fD$. For $d = 3$, this problem is related to the problem of reconstructing the geomagnetic field outside the earth from directional data measured on the earth’s surface. The question for uniqueness or non-uniqueness is of particular interest here.


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