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Equilibrium configurations of Vlasov plasmas carrying a current component along an external magnetic field

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

J. R. Kan
J. R. Kan
Affiliation:
Radiophysics Laboratory, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hamphsire
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Abstract

A class of equilibrium configurations of Vlasov plasmas carrying a current component along an external magnetic field is presented. The present slab model contains the diamagnetic current jy, and the field-aligned current jz for arbitrary βc (= particle pressure/magnetic pressure of the applied constant field). For fixed βc and field-aligned current, our model admits a family of equilibrium solutions in which the diamagnetic currents range from zero to a maximum value. The amount of diamagnetic current flowing in a machine depends on the width of the machine, the field-aligned current and other plasma parameters. The Helmholtz free energy of the system is calculated under the constraints that the total number of particles and the field-aligned current are conserved. The least unstable equilibrium configuration in a machine is obtained by minimizing the free energy under the stated constraints among all equilibria whose plasma widths do not exceed the width of the machine.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , June 1972 , pp. 445 - 459
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

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