Resistive Wall Mode Instability at Intermediate Plasma Rotation

Journal Article · Fri Jan 22 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.104.035003· OSTI ID:21386756

Berkery, J W; Sabbagh, S A ^[1]; Betti, R; Hu, B ^[2]; Bell, R E; Gerhardt, S P; Manickam, J ^[3]; Tritz, K ^[4]

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1. Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States)
2. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States)
3. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)
4. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 (United States)

Experimental observation of resistive wall mode (RWM) instability in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) at plasma rotation levels intermediate to the ion precession drift and ion bounce frequencies suggests that low critical rotation threshold models are insufficient. Kinetic modifications to the ideal stability criterion yield a more complex relationship between plasma rotation and RWM stability. Good agreement is found between an experimental RWM instability at intermediate plasma rotation and the RWM marginal point calculated with kinetic effects included, by the MISK code. By self-similarly scaling the experimental plasma rotation profile and the collisionality in the calculation, resonances of the mode with the precession drift and bounce frequencies are explored. Experimentally, RWMs go unstable when the plasma rotation is between the stabilizing precession drift and bounce resonances.

• OSTI ID: 21386756
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 104; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CONFIGURATION
DRIFT INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY
MOTION
NSTX DEVICE
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
RESONANCE
ROTATION
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
SPHEROMAK DEVICES
STABILITY
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES
WALLS