Linear instability and nonlinear motion of rotating plasma

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5569721

Liu, J

Two coupled nonlinear equations describing the flute dynamics of the magnetically confined low-..beta.. collisionless rotating plasma are derived. The linear instability and nonlinear dynamics of the rotating column are analyzed theoretically. In the linear stability analysis, a new sufficient condition of stability is obtained. From the exact solution of eigenvalue equation for Gaussian density profile and uniform rotation of the plasma, the stability of the system strongly depends on the direction of plasma rotation, FLR effect and the location of the conducting wall. An analytic expression showing the finite wall effect on different normal modes is obtained and it explains the different behavior of (1,0) normal mode from other modes. The sheared rotation driven instability is investigated by using three model equilibrium profiles, and the analytic expressions of eigenvalues which includes the wall effect are obtained. The analogy between shear rotation driven instability and the instability driven by sheared plane parallel flow in the inviscid fluid is analyzed. Applying the linear analysis to the central cell of tandem mirror system, the trapped particle instability with only passing electronics is analyzed. For uniform rotation and Gaussian density profile, an analytic expression that determines the stability boundary is found. The nonlinear analysis shows that the nonlinear equations have a solitary vortex solution which is very similar to the vortex solution of nonlinear Rossby wave equation.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Austin (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5569721
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700105 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Plasma Kinetics-Theoretical-- (-1987)
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
FLUID FLOW
IDEAL FLOW
INSTABILITY
LOW-BETA PLASMA
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
ROTATING PLASMA
TANDEM MIRRORS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES