Fully three-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic stability analysis of low- n modes and Mercier modes in stellarators

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physics of Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.860100· OSTI ID:7043060

Fu, G Y; Cooper, W A; Gruber, R ^[1]; Schwenn, U ^[2]; Anderson, D V ^[3]

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1. Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas, Association Euratom-Confederation Suisse, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne (Switzerland)
2. Max-Planck-Institut f uer Plasmaphysik, Euratom-IPP Association, Garching (Germany)
3. National Energy Research Supercomputer Center, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

The TERPSICHORE three-dimensional linear ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability code ({ital Theory} {ital of} {ital Fusion} {ital Plasmas}, Proceedings of the Joint Varenna--Lausanne International Workshop, Chexbres, Switzerland, 1988 (Editrice Compositori, Bologna, Italy, 1989), p. 93; {ital Controlled} {ital Fusion} {ital and} {ital Plasma} {ital Heating}, Proceedings of the 17th European Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (European Physical Society, Petit-Lancy, Switzerland, 1990), Vol. 14B, Part II, p. 931; {ital Theory} {ital of} {ital Fusion} {ital Plasmas}, Proceedings of the Joint Varenna--Lausanne International Workshop, Valla Monastero, Varenna, Italy, 1990 (Editrice Compositori, Bologna, Italy, 1990), p. 655) has been extended to the full MHD equations. The new code is used to calculate the physical growth rates of nonlocal low-{ital n} modes for {ital l}=2 torsatron configurations. A comprehensive investigation of the relation between the Mercier modes and the low-{ital n} modes has been performed. The unstable localized low-{ital n} modes are found to be correlated with the Mercier criterion. Finite growth rates of the low-{ital n} modes correspond to finite values of the Mercier criterion parameter. Near the Mercier marginal stability boundary, the low-{ital n} modes tend to be weakly unstable with very small growth rates. However, the stability of global-type low-{ital n} modes is found to be decorrelated from that of Mercier modes. The low-{ital n} modes with global radial structures can be more stable or more unstable than Mercier modes.

• OSTI ID: 7043060
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (United States) Vol. 4:6; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700370* -- Plasma Fluid & MHD Properties-- (1992-)
ANNULAR SPACE
CLOSED CONFIGURATIONS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONFIGURATION
EQUILIBRIUM
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
MERCIER CRITERION
MHD EQUILIBRIUM
SIMULATION
SPACE
STELLARATORS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TOROIDAL CONFIGURATION
TORSATRON STELLARATORS