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Sheared flow stabilization of the {ital m}=1 kink mode in {ital Z} pinches

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [2]
  1. High Energy Plasma Division, Phillips Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, Kirtland, New Mexico 87117-5776 (United States)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

The effect of a sheared axial flow on the {ital m}=1 kink instability in {ital Z} pinches is studied numerically by reducing the linearized magnetohydrodynamic equations to a one-dimensional displacement equation. An equilibrium is used that is made marginally stable against the {ital m}=0 sausage mode by tailoring its pressure profile. The principal result reveals that a sheared axial flow stabilizes the kink mode when the shear exceeds a threshold that is dependent on the location of the conducting wall. For the equilibria studied here the maximum threshold shear ({ital v}{sub {ital z}}{sup {prime}}/{ital kV}{sup 0}{sub {ital A}}) was about 0.1. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital The} {ital American} {ital Physical} {ital Society}.

OSTI ID:
130767
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 18 Vol. 75; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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