Stability of tearing modes in finite-beta plasmas

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.870592· OSTI ID:6685773

Iacono, R; Bhattacharjee, A; Ronchi, C ^[1]; Greene, J M ^[2]; Hughes, M H ^[3]

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1. Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States)
2. General Atomics, San Diego, California 92186-9784 (United States)
3. Grumman Corporation, 4 Independence Way, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States)

The linear stability of classical tearing modes in a finite-beta, cylindrical plasma is reconsidered. The different regimes of tearing mode instability are delineated by means of critical Lundquist numbers. The well-known criterion [Delta][prime][gt][Delta][sub [ital c]] due to Glasser, Greene, and Johnson [Phys. Fluids [bold 18], 875 (1975)] defines a critical Lundquist number above which the plasma is stable. However, the physical importance of this Lundquist number is diminished by the fact that there is another critical Lundquist number, which is typically an order of magnitude smaller, above which the mode changes qualitatively in that the growth rate scales [ital linearly] with resistivity, and eventually becomes indistinguishable from resistive diffusion. The effect of parallel viscosity, which reduces the stabilizing coupling to the sound wave, is also considered. For large parallel viscosity, it is shown that [Delta][sub [ital c]] tends to zero. Thus, the stability criterion [Delta][prime][gt][Delta][sub [ital c]] for a finite-beta plasma is simply replaced by the criterion [Delta][prime][gt]0. These analytical results are shown to be in good agreement with numerical results.

• OSTI ID: 6685773
• 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-)
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CONFIGURATION
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
FLUID MECHANICS
HIGH-BETA PLASMA
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
LOW-BETA PLASMA
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
TEARING INSTABILITY
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES
VISCOSITY