skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Numerical study of explosive tearing mode instability in one-component plasmas

Abstract

A numerical simulation is performed to investigate the nonlinear phase of the collisionless tearing mode instability. The results are found consistent with the expectation from the theory by Galeev, Coroniti, and Ashour-Abdalla, who predicted the existence of an explosive phase of the instability caused by the magnetization of particles by the perturbed component of the magnetic field normal to the neutral sheet. Since electrostatic effects on the evolution of the instability are neglected a priori in the present numerical simulation, we do not obtain the final answer. But there seems to be a good possibility of the explosive evolution of the tearing mode instability in its nonlinear stage. It is argued that for a sufficiently long-wavelength perturbation the nonlinear explosive evolution can become faster than the nonlinear coalescence mode. It is further noted that the particles are heated adiabatically within the magnetic islands by the one-dimensional compression process.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153, Japan
OSTI Identifier:
5948373
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 86:A11
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; TEARING INSTABILITY; INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES; ADIABATIC COMPRESSION HEATING; EXPLOSIVE INSTABILITY; MAGNETOTAIL; NUMERICAL SOLUTION; PLASMA ACCELERATION; PLASMA SHEET; ACCELERATION; EARTH ATMOSPHERE; HEATING; INSTABILITY; MAGNETOSPHERE; PLASMA HEATING; PLASMA INSTABILITY; PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES; 700107* - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Instabilities

Citation Formats

Terasawa, T. Numerical study of explosive tearing mode instability in one-component plasmas. United States: N. p., 1981. Web. doi:10.1029/JA086iA11p09007.
Terasawa, T. Numerical study of explosive tearing mode instability in one-component plasmas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/JA086iA11p09007
Terasawa, T. 1981. "Numerical study of explosive tearing mode instability in one-component plasmas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/JA086iA11p09007.
@article{osti_5948373,
title = {Numerical study of explosive tearing mode instability in one-component plasmas},
author = {Terasawa, T},
abstractNote = {A numerical simulation is performed to investigate the nonlinear phase of the collisionless tearing mode instability. The results are found consistent with the expectation from the theory by Galeev, Coroniti, and Ashour-Abdalla, who predicted the existence of an explosive phase of the instability caused by the magnetization of particles by the perturbed component of the magnetic field normal to the neutral sheet. Since electrostatic effects on the evolution of the instability are neglected a priori in the present numerical simulation, we do not obtain the final answer. But there seems to be a good possibility of the explosive evolution of the tearing mode instability in its nonlinear stage. It is argued that for a sufficiently long-wavelength perturbation the nonlinear explosive evolution can become faster than the nonlinear coalescence mode. It is further noted that the particles are heated adiabatically within the magnetic islands by the one-dimensional compression process.},
doi = {10.1029/JA086iA11p09007},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5948373}, journal = {J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 86:A11,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981},
month = {Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981}
}