Large-scale stationary convection in a cylindrical current-carrying plasma

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1984 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.864632· OSTI ID:5137037

Gomberoff, L; Hernandez, M

Nonideal effects such as viscosity and thermal conductivity on the stability of a cylindrical current-carrying plasma in a shearless magnetic field are studied. It is shown that for magnetic fields satisfying B/sub theta//B/sub z/ >>1, nonideal effects drastically change the shape of the unstable spectrum of the ideal case. In particular, there is a physical mode at k/sub parallel/ = m-nq = 0 which, for a given value of the product of the coefficient of perpendicular viscosity and thermal conductivity, triggers large-scale steady convection in the plasma. This state is shown to be the analog in a plasma of the well-known stationary convection in ordinary hydrodynamics.

• Research Organization: Facultad de Ciencias Basicas, Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
• OSTI ID: 5137037
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Vol. 27:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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