Resistive tearing instability with equilibrium shear flow

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Physics of Fluids B; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.859339· OSTI ID:7101916

Chen, X L; Morrison, P J ^[1]

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1. Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (US)

The effect of equilibrium velocity shear on the resistive tearing instability has been systematically studied, using the boundary layer approach. Both the constant-{psi}'' tearing mode, which has a growth rate that scales as {ital S}{sup {minus}3/5}, and the nonconstant-{psi}'' tearing mode ({Delta}{prime}({alpha}{ital S}){sup {minus}1/3}{much gt}1), which has a growth rate that scales as {ital S}{sup {minus}1/3}, are analyzed in the presence of flow. Here {ital S} is the usual ratio of the resistive diffusion and Alfven times. It is found that the shear flow has a significant influence on both the external ideal region and the internal resistive region. In the external ideal region, the shear flow can dramatically change the value of the matching quantity {Delta}{prime}. In the internal resistive region, the tearing mode is sensitive to the flow shear at the magnetic null plane: {ital G}{prime}(0). When {ital G}{prime}(0) is comparable to the magnetic field shear, {ital F}{prime}(0), the scalings of the constant-{psi} tearing mode are changed and the {Delta}{prime}{gt}0 instability criterion is removed, provided {ital G}{prime}(0){ital G}{double prime}(0){minus}{ital F}{prime}(0){ital F}{double prime}(0){ne}0. The scalings of the nonconstant-{psi} tearing mode remain unchanged. When the flow shear is larger than the magnetic field shear at the magnetic null plane, both tearing modes are stabilized. Finally, the transition to ideal instability is discussed.

• OSTI ID: 7101916
• 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

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
BOUNDARY LAYERS
DATA
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EQUATIONS
EQUILIBRIUM
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW
INFORMATION
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
LAYERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
SCALING LAWS
SHEAR
SLABS
STABILIZATION
TEARING INSTABILITY
THEORETICAL DATA
VELOCITY
VISCOSITY