Drift-modified tearing instabilities due to trapped electrons

Journal Article · Mon Aug 22 04:00:00 EDT 1977 · Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.39.460· OSTI ID:7299958

Chen, L; Rutherford, P H; Tang, W M

It is shown that the collisional detrapping of magnetically trapped electrons in tokamaks can excite drift tearing modes with high azimuthal mode numbers. For normal temperature gradients (dlnT/sub e//dlnn > 0), the modes are unstable in the collisional regime (v/sub eff/ > ..omega../sub asteriske/), but stable in the collisionless regime (v/sub eff/ < ..omega../sub asterisk e))2/. Our result for Q/sub 2/+ strongly disagrees with a recent measurement (Q/sub 2/+ = - (0.19 +- 0.02) e x b)) but is consistent with theoretical calculations (Q/sub 2/ = (0.03 - 0.06) e x b).

• Research Organization: Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
• OSTI ID: 7299958
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 39:8; ISSN PRLTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
&amp; Production
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
DRIFT INSTABILITY
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
SHEAR
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES
TRAPPED ELECTRONS