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Analytical theory of interchange and compressional Alfven instabilities in EBT

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6378196· OSTI ID:6378196
The local stability of the EBT plasma is analyzed for the long wavelength perturbations in the frequency regime, ..omega.. approx. less than or equal to ..cap omega../sub i/(..cap omega../sub i/ is ion cyclotron frequency). In addition to the low frequency interchange instability, the plasma can be unstable to the compressional Alfven wave. Contrary to the previously obtained quadratic dispersion relation in ..omega.. for the interchange mode, our dispersion relations for both types of instabilities are cubic in ..omega... New stability boundaries are found, for the hot electron interchange mode, to relate to the enhanced compressibility of the core plasma in the presence of hot electrons. The compressional Alfven instability is driven due to the coupling of hot electron magnetic drifts and diamagnetic drift with the compressional Alfven wave. The stability conditions of these two types of instabilities are opposite to each other.
Research Organization:
Princeton Univ., NJ (USA). Plasma Physics Lab.; Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AM02-76CH03073
OSTI ID:
6378196
Report Number(s):
PPPL-1810; ON: DE81025900
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English