Anisotropic pressure stability of a plasma confined in a dipole magnetic field
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 167 Albany Street, NW16, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
The interchange and ballooning stability of general anisotropic pressure plasma equilibria in a dipolar magnetic field are investigated. Starting with the Kruskal-Oberman form of the energy principle and using a Schwarz inequality, a fluid form of the anisotropic pressure energy principle is derived, which, after appropriate minimization, gives an interchange stability condition and an integro-differential ballooning equation. These results are applied to the case of an anisotropic pressure equilibrium having the perpendicular pressure equal to the parallel pressure times a constant and, in particular, to a model point dipole equilibrium. It is found that the model equilibrium is interchange stable for all plasma betas = (plasma pressure/magnetic pressure) and ballooning stable for all betas up to some critical value. The interesting planetary case of ''tied'' field lines is also considered. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.
- OSTI ID:
- 20217082
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 7; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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