On the stability of localized drift modes in the boundary layers of high density gas insulated plasmas

Gas blanket systems are of interest for mainly two reasons. First, plasma wall interaction effects are expected to be considerably reduced due to the presence of the surrounding neutral gas. Consequently the impurity radiation due to impurities originating from plasma wall interaction processes is probably eliminated to a large extent. Second, the fueling of a future thermonuclear reactor can take place in a natural way in gas blanket systems in the sense that neutrals can diffuse inwards at a suitable rate to replace burnt fuel under certain conditions. In this analysis the author considers certain stability aspects of plasmas surrounded by neutral gas. In particular the author considers the stability of localized collisional drift modes, in the cool partially ionized boundary regions. In these regions large pressure gradients are expected due to plasma neutral gas interaction effects. It is concluded that stability is possible within certain parameter ranges due to the presence of several stabilizing effects associated with finite Larmor radius and viscosity effects and coupling between dissipative effects directly or indirectly connected with plasma neutral gas interaction processes. (Auth.)