Spectrum of fast Alfven eigenmodes in a cylindrical current-carrying plasma
- Department of Plasma Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia (AU)
In this paper, the spectrum of fast Alfven eigenmodes is examined for a cylindrical, current-carrying, inhomogeneous plasma, at frequencies above the ion cyclotron frequency. Although the spectrum for {ital m}=0 and {ital m}={plus minus}1 modes in a current-free plasma has been studied extensively, the influence of a steady plasma current and the properties of high {ital m} modes have not received as much attention. It is shown that there exists a wide spectrum of positive {ital m} modes that propagate in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies, regardless of the plasma density or device size. These modes propagate, as surface waves, in the plasma edge region. Mode splitting, caused by the finite plasma current, is sufficiently large in tokamak devices that high {ital m} modes propagate in only one direction parallel to the equilibrium {ital B}{sub {ital z}} field. High {ital m} modes are guided along the steady magnetic field lines in the plasma edge and are therefore potentially very dangerous from an edge heating point of view.
- OSTI ID:
- 7101859
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Fluids B; (USA), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (USA) Vol. 2:3; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
ALFVEN WAVES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
COMPRESSION
CONFIGURATION
CURRENTS
CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
EIGENVALUES
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
END EFFECTS
ENERGY SPECTRA
EQUILIBRIUM
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INHOMOGENEOUS PLASMA
IONS
LINE BROADENING
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA
SPECTRA
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES