Onset and Saturation of the Kink Instability in a Current-Carrying Line-Tied Plasma

Journal Article · Fri Jan 13 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.015004· OSTI ID:20775019

Bergerson, W F; Forest, C B; Fiksel, G; Hannum, D A; Kendrick, R; Sarff, J S; Stambler, S ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, 1150 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)

An internal kink instability is observed to grow and saturate in a line-tied screw pinch plasma. Detailed measurements show that an ideal, line-tied kink mode begins growing when the safety factor q=(4{pi}{sup 2}r{sup 2}B{sub z}/{mu}{sub 0}I{sub p}(r)L) drops below 1 inside the plasma; the saturated state corresponds to a rotating helical equilibrium. In addition to the ideal mode, reconnection events are observed to periodically flatten the current profile and change the magnetic topology.

• OSTI ID: 20775019
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 96, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.015004; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
EQUILIBRIUM
KINK INSTABILITY
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PERIODICITY
PLASMA
SATURATION
SCREW PINCH
TOPOLOGY