Numerical study of resistive magnetohydrodynamic modes in high-temperature plasma of general toroidal geometry

The linearized resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer equations in general toroidal geometry are numerically solved to investigate ETG (the effect of temperature gradient coupled with thermal conduction and transport) on the linear stability of the three resistive MHD modes (ballooning, tearing, and interchange). The present model is more realistic than usual for high-temperature plasma in that it includes ETG in addition to the effects from electron diamagnetic drift and compression. It is found that ETG gives substantial stabilization to the resistive ballooning mode, as well as to the tearing mode, while the resistive interchange mode is destabilized by this effect. Though most of the findings are in good agreement in their essential points with existing work, the conclusion associated with the resistive ballooning mode appears to be in disagreement with some aspects of previous work. An analysis of the reasons for this discrepancy is presented