Kinetic stability of field-reversed configurations
The internal tilt mode is considered to be the biggest threat to Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) global stability. The tilt stability of the FRC is studied using the MHD, Hall MHD, and the Vlasov-fluid (Vlasov ions, cold massless fluid electrons) models. Nonlinear Hall MHD calculations showed that the FRC was stable to the tilt mode when the s value of the FRC was below a critical value that was dependent on plasma length. The critical s value is larger for longer plasma equilibria. The stability of FRC's with toroidal field was studied with a linear initial value MHD code. The calculations showed an axial perturbation wavelength of the most unstable eigenfunction that was consistent with internal probe measurements made on translated FRC's. Linear Vlasov-fluid eigenvalue calculations showed that kinetic ion effects can change both the growth rate and the structure of the eigenfunctions when compared to the corresponding MHD modes. Calculations on short FRC equilibria indicate that MHD is not the appropriate small gyroradius limit of the Vlasov-fluid model because the axial transit time of a thermal ion is approximately equal to an MHD growth time for the tilt mode. Calculations were done using a small number of unstable MHD eigenfunctions as basis functions in order to reduce the dimensionality of the stability problem. The results indicated that this basis set can produce inaccurate growth rates at large value for s for some equilibria.
- Research Organization:
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-90ER53302
- OSTI ID:
- 6389964
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/53302-3; ON: DE91009530; TRN: 91-006819
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
FIELD-REVERSED MIRROR REACTORS
TILTING INSTABILITY
BOLTZMANN-VLASOV EQUATION
CONTINUITY EQUATIONS
CORRELATION FUNCTIONS
DISPERSION RELATIONS
KINETICS
MHD EQUILIBRIUM
PROGRESS REPORT
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EQUATIONS
EQUILIBRIUM
FUNCTIONS
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
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