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Splitting instability of a high beta tokamak with noncircular cross section.
- Source :
-
Physics of Fluids (00319171) . Mar88, Vol. 31 Issue 3, p630. 4p. - Publication Year :
- 1988
-
Abstract
- The splitting of a tokamak with elliptical and bean-shaped cross sections is studied for finite beta plasmas. When the plasma beta exceeds a critical value, an elliptical tokamak is subject to an ideal pressure-driven instability, which deforms the ellipse in such a way that a thinned plasma current sheet is formed around the magnetic axis. As a result, magnetic reconnection is nonlinearly driven and the ellipse is split. The bean-shaped tokamak, however, is stable against a splitting perturbation for limited equilibria that could be numerically constructed. An interesting similarity to the energy relaxation process in a force-free plasma, namely, a two-step evolution (initial occurrence of an ideal magnetohydrodynamic instability and subsequent occurrence of driven reconnection), is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *TOKAMAKS
*TRAPPED-particle instabilities
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00319171
- Volume :
- 31
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Physics of Fluids (00319171)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 9829730
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866792