Precession and kink motion of long astron layers

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.862651· OSTI ID:6319194

Lovelace, R V

A study is made of the stability of the low-frequency precession and kink modes of a long astron particle layer embedded in a dense low-temperature plasma. The precessional motion corresponds to a toroidal mode number n= 1 and the kink motion to n> or approx. = 2. Two types of precession of nonrelativistic ion layers are analyzed in detail. For frequencies ..omega.. such that ..cap alpha../sup 2/..cap omega../sup 2/very-much-less-thanvertical-bar..omega..vertical-bar/sup 2/very-much-less-than..cap omega../sup 2/, there is a precession mode with the real part of the frequency ..omega../sub r/approx. =-(eta/sub e//2) ..cap omega... Here, ..cap omega.. is the average circulation frequency for the layer ions; ..cap alpha..equivalent v/sub A//v-bar/sub theta/very-much-less-than 1 with v/sub A/ the plasma Alfven wave speed, and v-bar/sub theta/ the average azimuthal velocity of the layer ions; and eta/sub e/ is the effective external magnetic field index. This mode shows the well known negative energy type of instability due to dissipation for eta/sub e/< 0, which corresponds to a mirror field. For frequencies vertical-bar..omega..vertical-bar/sup 2/very-much-less-than..cap alpha../sup 2/..cap omega../sup 2/, there is a magnetohydrodynamic precession mode with a frequency ..omega..approx. = +- (eta/sub e//zeta)/sup 1/2/..cap alpha cap omega.., where zeta is the loading factor, which is a measure of the layer strength. This mode has a magnetohydrodynamic type of instability for eta/sub e/< 0. For the kink modes, a necessary and sufficient condition for stability is shown to be eta/sub s/< 3, where eta/sub s/ is the self-magnetic field index.

• Research Organization: Department of Applied Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
• OSTI ID: 6319194
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 22:4; ISSN PFLDA
• 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
ALFVEN WAVES
ASTRON
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
COLLISIONS
DISTURBANCES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON RINGS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
EQUATIONS
FERMIONS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INSTABILITY
ION COLLISIONS
ION RINGS
KINETIC EQUATIONS
KINK INSTABILITY
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NORMAL-MODE ANALYSIS
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
PRECESSION
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES