Stability of a Z pinch with rising current
- Berkeley Research Associates, P.O. Box 852, Springfield, Virginia 22150 (USA)
- Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5000 (USA)
A two-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code is used to examine the stability of a Z pinch to {ital m}=0 perturbations under conditions of rising current. The current waveform is chosen to keep the unperturbed radius of the pinch constant in time. At low current the perturbations oscillate without growing, or grow only weakly, contrary to the predictions of ideal MHD theory. At high current, the perturbations grow at a rate consistent with ideal MHD. The point of transition can be described in terms of a critical Lundquist number; this increases with the wavelength of the perturbation, and is about 160 for {ital ka}=0.3, where {ital k} is the wavenumber and {ital a} is the pinch radius. These results may explain recent experimental observations of anomalously stable dense Z pinches.
- OSTI ID:
- 7242847
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Fluids B; (USA), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (USA) Vol. 2:1; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
COMPUTER CODES
CORRELATIONS
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
LINEAR PINCH DEVICES
LINEAR Z PINCH DEVICES
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PINCH DEVICES
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
STABILITY
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS