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Title: Effects of Boundary Conditions and Flow on the Kink Instability in a Cylindrical Plasma Column

Abstract

An experimental investigation of the kink instability is presented in a linear plasma column where one end is line-tied to the plasma source, and the other end is not line-tied and therefore free to slide over the surface of the end-plate. This latter boundary condition is a result of plasma sheath resistance that insulates, at least partially, the plasma from the end-plate. The helical m = 1 kink mode is observed to grow when the plasma current exceeds a threshold and, close to the criticality, is characterized by an axial mode structure with maximum displacement at the free axial boundary. Azimuthal rotation of the mode is observed such that the helically kinked column always screws into the free axial boundary. The kink mode structure, rotation frequency and instability threshold are accurately reproduced by a recent kink theory [D. D. Ryutov, et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 032105 (2006)], which includes axial plasma flow and one end of the plasma column that is free to move due to a perfect non-line-tying boundary condition which is experimentally verified. A brief review of the kink theory and its predictions for the boundary conditions relevant in the present experiments are presented.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
908899
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JRNL-227871
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X; PHPAEN; TRN: US0703793
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; BOUNDARY CONDITIONS; CRITICALITY; INSTABILITY; KINK INSTABILITY; PLASMA; PLASMA SHEATH; ROTATION

Citation Formats

Furno, I, Intrator, T P, Lapenta, G, Dorf, L, and Ryutov, D D. Effects of Boundary Conditions and Flow on the Kink Instability in a Cylindrical Plasma Column. United States: N. p., 2007. Web. doi:10.1063/1.2435306.
Furno, I, Intrator, T P, Lapenta, G, Dorf, L, & Ryutov, D D. Effects of Boundary Conditions and Flow on the Kink Instability in a Cylindrical Plasma Column. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2435306
Furno, I, Intrator, T P, Lapenta, G, Dorf, L, and Ryutov, D D. 2007. "Effects of Boundary Conditions and Flow on the Kink Instability in a Cylindrical Plasma Column". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2435306. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/908899.
@article{osti_908899,
title = {Effects of Boundary Conditions and Flow on the Kink Instability in a Cylindrical Plasma Column},
author = {Furno, I and Intrator, T P and Lapenta, G and Dorf, L and Ryutov, D D},
abstractNote = {An experimental investigation of the kink instability is presented in a linear plasma column where one end is line-tied to the plasma source, and the other end is not line-tied and therefore free to slide over the surface of the end-plate. This latter boundary condition is a result of plasma sheath resistance that insulates, at least partially, the plasma from the end-plate. The helical m = 1 kink mode is observed to grow when the plasma current exceeds a threshold and, close to the criticality, is characterized by an axial mode structure with maximum displacement at the free axial boundary. Azimuthal rotation of the mode is observed such that the helically kinked column always screws into the free axial boundary. The kink mode structure, rotation frequency and instability threshold are accurately reproduced by a recent kink theory [D. D. Ryutov, et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 032105 (2006)], which includes axial plasma flow and one end of the plasma column that is free to move due to a perfect non-line-tying boundary condition which is experimentally verified. A brief review of the kink theory and its predictions for the boundary conditions relevant in the present experiments are presented.},
doi = {10.1063/1.2435306},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/908899}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 06 00:00:00 EST 2007},
month = {Tue Feb 06 00:00:00 EST 2007}
}

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