Plasma convection instability in an inhomogeneous magnetic field

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:5785506

Ottinger, P; Guillory, J; Lashinsky, H

A convection instability characteristic of plasmas in an inhomogeneous azimuthal magnetic field is treated in the linear stage and in nonlinear saturation. The analysis is done in such a way that collisional and collisionless limits can be taken, and these limits are displayed along with the more general intermediate result. The instability, known previously in the literature in its collision-dominated form, is shown to be a 'flute' instability with collisional modifications to the growth rate. The nonlinear saturation is analyzed by examining a finite amplitude restoring-force term in the differential equation that describes the instability. This term is due to the fact that the instability convects plasma into striations of the plasma column surface, modifyng the density gradient until the restoring forces balance the pressure gradient driving force. The effects of finite ion gyroradius are displayed, and applications of this study to convection cells in a thermal plasma and to exploding wire plasmas are discussed.

• Research Organization: Maryland Univ., College Park (USA). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• OSTI ID: 5785506
• Report Number(s): AD-A-070483
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
CONVECTIVE INSTABILITIES
FLUTE INSTABILITY
INHOMOGENEOUS FIELDS
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES