On the stability of shear-Alfven vortices

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physics of Plasmas; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.870588· OSTI ID:6684572

Jovanovic, D ^[1]; Horton, W ^[2]

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1. Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 57, Yu-11001 Belgrade, Serbia (Yugoslavia)
2. Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States)

Linear stability of shear-Alfven vortices is studied analytically, using the Lyapunov method. Vortices belonging to the drift mode, which is a generalization of the standard Hasegawa--Mima vortex to the case of large parallel phase velocities, are proved to be unstable. In the case of the convective-cell mode, short perpendicular-wavelength perturbations are stable for a broad class of vortices. Eventually, instability of convective-cell vortices may occur on the perpendicular scale comparable with the vortex size, but it is followed by a simultaneous excitation of coherent structures with a better localization than the original vortex.

• OSTI ID: 6684572
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas; (United States) Vol. 1:8; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700340 -- Plasma Waves
Oscillations
& Instabilities-- (1992-)
700370* -- Plasma Fluid & MHD Properties-- (1992-)
ALFVEN WAVES
CALCULATION METHODS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
LYAPUNOV METHOD
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
PLASMA DRIFT
STABILITY
TURBULENCE
VORTICES