Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T18:50:56.578Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An electron thermal instability in a resistive non-equilibrium fully ionised plasma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

M. G. Haines
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Imperial College, London

Abstract

An electron thermal instability is proposed, which could explain the occurrence of the break-up of a plasma shell into separated current elements during the early history of a discharge. Inclusion of electron thermal conduction and Faraday's law leads to an optimum wavelength for growth, in good agreement with recent results on a θ pinch at NRL, Washington. Finally, the addition of ion motion leads to a modification of the stability criterion. The non-convective instability exists only at low temperature and high density; but a convective instability now appears, which persists at high temperature, and could be relevant to fusion conditions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Dixon, R. H., Düchs, D. F. & Elton, R. C. 1973 Phys. Fluids, 16, 1762.Google Scholar
Düchs, D. F., Dixon, R. H. & Elton, R. C. 1974 Phys. Fluids, 17. (To be published.)Google Scholar
Furth, H. P., Rosenbluth, M. N., Rutherford, P. M. & Stodiek, W. 1970 Phys. Fluids, 13, 3020.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nelson, A. H. & Haines, M. G. 1969 Plasma Physics, 2, 811.Google Scholar