Current-Driven Rotating-Kink Mode in a Plasma Column with a Non-Line-Tied Free End

Journal Article · Fri Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.015002· OSTI ID:20777381

Furno, I; Intrator, T P; Abbate, S; Madziwa-Nussinov, T; Light, A; Dorf, L; Lapenta, G ^[1]; Ryutov, D D ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop E526, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States)

First experimental measurements are presented for the kink instability in a linear plasma column which is insulated from an axial boundary by finite sheath resistivity. An instability threshold below the classical Kruskal-Shafranov threshold, axially asymmetric mode structure, and rotation are observed. These are accurately reproduced by a recent kink theory, which includes axial plasma flow and one end of the plasma column that is free to move due to a non-line-tied boundary condition.

• OSTI ID: 20777381
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 97, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.015002; (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

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASYMMETRY
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
KINK INSTABILITY
PLASMA
ROTATION