Resistive stabilisation of a dense Z-pinch

The stability of an ohmically heated Z-pinch is considered where the unperturbed time-evolving plasma column is in pressure balance. The m=0 mode only is considered. A first, when cold the Lundquist number (magnetic Reynolds number) S is small (<100) and the pinch is stable. Above a critical value of S exponential growth of an unstable mode occurs. These theoretical results will be compared with the experimental deuterium fibre results from NRL, Washington in which during the current rise phase the Z-pinch was stable. The importance of this result is that because of the small pinch radius a small value of S occurs even at a temperature of 100 eV. (author) 4 refs., 1 tab