Solitary vortices in plasmas

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Sov. J. Plasma Phys. (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6765971

Petviashvili, V I; Pokhotelov, O A

Recent work in the nonlinear theory of drift and Alfven waves in plasmas is reviewed. In such waves, even at comparatively small amplitudes, nonlinearity gives rise to qualitatively new effects. Stationary drift waves can exist only as solitary two-dimensional vortices which are traveling in a direction nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field and to the density gradient. Because of their local nature, such vortices are insensitive to shear and can be replenished by dissipative instabilities. They can arise in the case of strong perturbations of the plasma caused by, for example, rf heating, the injection of neutrals, or ..cap alpha.. particles produced in fusion reactions. These vortices can be modeled in a graphic way in a rapidly rotating shallow liquid. The vortices lead to mixing of the plasma in the direction across the magnetic field. The thermal conductivity caused by rotational convection of this sort is calculated. Drift-Alfven waves can also exist in the form of vortices of this type. Solitary toroidal vortices in a plasma with a uniform magnetic field and in a plasma discharge with an azimuthal magnetic field are also analyzed.

• Research Organization: I. V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, Moscow
• OSTI ID: 6765971
• Journal Information: Sov. J. Plasma Phys. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. J. Plasma Phys. (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 12:9; ISSN SJPPD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
ALFVEN WAVES
CONVECTION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
JUPITER PLANET
MASS TRANSFER
MOTION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
PLASMA
PLASMA HEATING
QUASI PARTICLES
REVIEWS
ROTATION
SHEAR
SOLITONS
SYNTHESIS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
TURBULENCE
VORTICES