Equilibrium and Stability of Partial Toroidal Plasma Discharges

E. Oz, C. E. Myers, M. Yamada, H. Ji, R. Kulsrud, and J. Xie

Princeton University. Plasma Physics Laboratory.

关键词: Electrodes;    70 Plasma Physics And Fusion Technology;    Magnetic Reconnection;    Boundary Conditions;    Stability Equilibrium, Mhd, Kink Instability, Space Plasma Physics,;   

RP-ID  :  PPPL-4586
RP-ID  :  DE-ACO2-09CH11466
RP-ID  :  1001678

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The equilibrium and stability of partial toroidal flux ropes are studied in detail in the laboratory, motivated by ubiquitous loop structures on the solar surface. The flux ropes studied here are magnetized arc discharges formed in the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX). It is found that these loops robustly maintain their equilibrium on time scales much longer than the Alfven time over a wide range of plasma current, guide eld strength, and angle between electrodes, even in the absence of a strapping fi eld. Additionally, the external kink stability of these flux ropes is found to be governed by the Kruskal-Shafranov limit for a flux rope with line-tied boundary conditions at both ends (q > 1).