Collisionless Simon--Hoh instability in a strongly double-sheared electric field
Creators
- 1. Institute of Plasma and Fusion Research and Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024 (United States)
Description
It has been shown in an earlier paper [Phys. Fluids B 5, 344 (1993)] that the ion flow speed of a plasma can be much smaller than the ExB speed in a strongly double-sheared electric field. In this paper, the stability of the plasma is investigated. It is found that a new instability, driven by the difference between the ion and electron flow speed, occurs and may dominate the Kelvin--Helmholtz (KH) instability in a nonuniform plasma. This new instability has a driving mechanism similar to that of the Simon--Hoh instability and is thus called the collisionless Simon--Hoh (CSH) instability. When the CSH instability dominates, the plasma does not become more unstable as the electric field is increased, in contrast to scenarios where the KH instability is dominant
Additional details
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Physics of Plasmas
- Journal Volume
- 1
- Journal Issue
- 10
- Journal Page Range
- p. 3193-3198.
- ISSN
- 1070-664X
- CODEN
- PHPAEN
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- United States
- INIS RN
- 26023373
- Subject category
- S70: PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY;
- Descriptors DEI
- COLLISIONLESS PLASMA; ELECTRIC FIELDS; HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY; PLASMA CONFINEMENT; PLASMA DRIFT; PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES; SHEAR; TOKAMAK DEVICES
- Descriptors DEC
- CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES; CONFINEMENT; INSTABILITY; PLASMA; PLASMA INSTABILITY; THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES