DYNAMIC STABILIZATION OF A PLASMA COLUMN
The dynamic stabilization of a cylindrical plasma column which is confined by a magnetic field whose zcomponent is constant while the ?-component oscillates sinusoidally is considered. The skin depth is assumed to be negligible so that the boundary can be considered as sharp and the interior of the plasma as field free. The plasma is treated as an assembly of noncolliding particles which are specularly reflected at the plasma surface. The oscillating pressure of the applied field is shown to induce a small periodic motion independent of ? and z in the plasma surface. All other components of the displacement decay in time, therefore the plasma is positively stable against all deformations. For magnetostatic confinement this treatment yields the usual instabilities, but the growth rates are bounded as the deformation wave length approaches zero. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Space Technology Labs., Inc. Physical Research Lab., Los Angeles
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-003544
- OSTI ID:
- 4142801
- Report Number(s):
- NP-9266; STL/TR/-60-0000-GR269
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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