Ballooning instability
The ballooning instability (a.k.a. ballooning mode instability) is a type of internal pressure-driven plasma instability usually seen in tokamak fusion power reactors[1] or in space plasmas.[2] It is important in fusion research as it determines a set of criteria for the maximum achievable plasma beta.[3] The name refers to the shape and action of the instability, which acts like the elongations formed in a long balloon when it is squeezed. In literature, the structure of these elongations are commonly referred to as 'fingers'.[4][5][6] The narrow fingers of plasma produced by the instability are capable of accelerating and pushing aside the surrounding magnetic field in order to cause a sudden, explosive release of energy. Thus, the instability is also known as the explosive instability.[7][8][9]
Relation to interchange instability
The interchange instability can be derived from the equations of the ballooning instability as a special case in which the ballooning mode does not perturb the equilibrium magnetic field.[2] This special limit is known as the Mercier criterion.[3]
References
- ↑ Dobrott, D.; Nelson, D. B.; Greene, J. M.; Glasser, A. H.; Chance, M. S.; Frieman, E. A. (1977-10-10). "Theory of Ballooning Modes in Tokamaks with Finite Shear". Physical Review Letters 39 (15): 943–946. doi:10.2172/5115796.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hameiri, E.; Laurence, P.; Mond, M. (1991-02-01). "The ballooning instability in space plasmas" (in en). Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 96 (A2): 1513–1526. doi:10.1029/90ja02100. ISSN 0148-0227. Bibcode: 1991JGR....96.1513H.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 P., Freidberg, Jeffrey (1987). Ideal magnetohydrodynamics. New York: Plenum Press. ISBN 0306425122. OCLC 15428479.
- ↑ Kleva, Robert G.; Guzdar, Parvez N. (2001). "Fast disruptions by ballooning mode ridges and fingers in high temperature, low resistivity toroidal plasmas" (in en). Physics of Plasmas 8 (1): 103–109. doi:10.1063/1.1331098. ISSN 1070-664X. Bibcode: 2001PhPl....8..103K.
- ↑ Cowley, Steven C.; Wilson, Howard; Hurricane, Omar; Fong, Bryan (2003). "Explosive instabilities: from solar flares to edge localized modes in tokamaks" (in en). Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 45 (12A): A31. doi:10.1088/0741-3335/45/12A/003. ISSN 0741-3335. Bibcode: 2003PPCF...45A..31C.
- ↑ Panov, E. V.; Sergeev, V. A.; Pritchett, P. L.; Coroniti, F. V.; Nakamura, R.; Baumjohann, W.; Angelopoulos, V.; Auster, H. U. et al. (2012). "Observations of kinetic ballooning/interchange instability signatures in the magnetotail" (in en). Geophysical Research Letters 39 (8): n/a. doi:10.1029/2012gl051668. ISSN 0094-8276. Bibcode: 2012GeoRL..39.8110P.
- ↑ Hamasaki, Seishi (1971). "Self-Consistent Calculation of an Explosive Instability" (in en). Physics of Fluids 14 (7): 1441–1451. doi:10.1063/1.1693626. ISSN 0031-9171. Bibcode: 1971PhFl...14.1441H.
- ↑ Jones, Michael E.; Fukai, J. (1979). "Evolution of the explosive instability in a simulated beam plasma" (in en). Physics of Fluids 22 (1): 132. doi:10.1063/1.862440. ISSN 0031-9171. Bibcode: 1979PhFl...22..132J.
- ↑ Cowley, S. C.; Cowley, B.; Henneberg, S. A.; Wilson, H. R. (2015-08-08). "Explosive instability and erupting flux tubes in a magnetized plasma". Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 471 (2180): 20140913. doi:10.1098/rspa.2014.0913. ISSN 1364-5021. PMID 26339193. Bibcode: 2015RSPSA.47140913C.
 |  |
