rf-induced stability of mirrors with inverted pressure profiles

Technical Report · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5267859

D'Ippolito, D A; Myra, J R

The stability of an axisymmetric tandem mirror with an inverted (or hollow) pressure profile is treated within the framework of scalar-pressure, ideal magnetohydrodynamics. A two-surface sharp-boundary model is formulated to describe the low-m ballooning stability of the annular plasma in the paraxial limit. Included in the analysis are the stabilizing effects of an externally-applied force, such as the rf-induced ponderomotive force, and of a perfectly-conducting lateral wall. It is shown that there is a stability boundary associated with each of these effects. In critical ranges of the plasma's annular thickness, the rf intensity and the wall position, the stability regions merge giving complete stability at all values of the plasma pressure.

• Research Organization: Science Applications, Inc., Boulder, CO (USA). Plasma Research Inst.
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76ET53057
• OSTI ID: 5267859
• Report Number(s): SAI-84-3011; PRI-72; ON: DE84007018
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
BALLOONING INSTABILITY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
SYMMETRY
TANDEM MIRRORS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES