Effects of pressure anisotropy on the stability of the guiding center plasma. Progress report, September 15, 1976--December 14, 1977
The stability analysis of nearly cylindrical magnetically confined plasma is generalized to include effects of pressure anisotropy in the guiding center model of Grad. The equilibrium and normal mode equations for helically symmetric plasmas are found and it is shown that these equations reduce to all previous diffuse profile bumpy theta pinch and helical calculations (in the appropriate limits). The equations presented are valid for arbitrary helical wave number k, arbitrary degree of helicity L and O(1) pressure anisotropy. It is shown that the ''new'' and ''old'' Scyllac orderings can be unified in a single calculation. Drift orbit diffusion induced by turbulence acting on trapped electrons is shown to reduce and broaden the magnetic drift resonance and produce the dominant nonlinear saturation mechanism for the dissipative trapped electron instability. The fluctuation level obtained is consistent with present experimental observations. Analytic FCT equilibria have been found in cylindrical geometry. Ideal 3D incompressible MHD turbulence in cylindrical geometry shows that mean square turbulent velocity fields (v vector/sup 2/) not equal to 0 for virtually all initial conditions (including qiescent ones), except for a state of extremal helicity. A conjecture, based on the inverse cascade of magnetic helicity, is put forward to explain J.B. Taylor's hypothesis for reversed field pinches.
- Research Organization:
- College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-S-05-5260
- OSTI ID:
- 7086266
- Report Number(s):
- ORO-5260-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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