Two-dimensional drift vortices and their stability

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.865990· OSTI ID:6294874

Laedke, E W; Spatschek, K H

Drift vortices in plasmas described by the Petviashvili equation in the case of strong temperature inhomogeneities or by the Hasegawa-Mima equation in the case of density gradients are investigated. Both equations allow for two-dimensional vortex solutions. The models are reviewed and the forms of the vortices are discussed. In the temperature-gradient case, the stationary solutions are only known numerically, whereas in the density gradient case analytical expressions exist. The latter are called modons; here the ground states are investigated. The result of a stability calculation is that both types of two-dimensional solutions, for the Petviashvili equation as well as the Hasegawa-Mima equation, are stable. The methods used to prove this result are either direct (constructing Liapunov functionals) or indirect, and then based on variational principles.

• Research Organization: Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Duesseldorf, D-4000 Duesseldorf, Federal Republic of Germany
• OSTI ID: 6294874
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 29:1; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700107 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
DRIFT INSTABILITY
ENERGY LEVELS
GROUND STATES
INSTABILITY
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
STABILITY
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VORTICES