Collisionless nonideal ballooning modes

Journal Article · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1998 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.873266· OSTI ID:300146

Kleva, R G; Guzdar, P N ^[1]

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1. Institute for Plasma Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742-3511 (United States)

The nonzero inertia of the electron is shown to destabilize pressure-driven ballooning modes in collisionless tokamak plasmas that are stable in the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) approximation. The effect of the electron mass is characterized by the collisionless electron skin depth d{sub e}=c/{omega}{sub pe}, where {omega}{sub pe}={radical} (4{pi}ne{sup 2}/m{sub e}) is the electron plasma frequency. The growth rate of electron inertia ballooning modes increases with the magnitude of d{sub e}, and also with the magnitude of the ratio {beta} of the plasma thermal pressure to the pressure in the confining magnetic field. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 300146
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 6; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BALLOONING INSTABILITY
ELECTRONS
GROWTH
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MASS
PLASMA PRESSURE
TOKAMAK DEVICES