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The stability analysis of magnetohydrodynamic equilibria - Comparing the thermodynamic approach with the energy principleThis paper is a contribution to the stability analysis of current-carrying plasmas, i.e., plasma systems that are forced by external mchanisms to carry a nonrelaxing electrical current. Under restriction to translationally invariant configurations, the thermodynamic stability criterion for a multicomponent plasma is rederived within the framework of nonideal MHD. The chosen dynamics neglects scalar resistivity, but allows for other types of dissipation effects both in Ohm's law and in the equation of motion. In the second section of the paper, the thermodynamic stability criterion is compared with the ideal MHD based energy principle of Bernstein et al. With the help of Schwarz's inequality, it is shown that the former criterion is always more 'pessimistic' than the latter, i.e., that thermodynamic stability implies stability according to the MHD principle, but not vice versa. This reuslt confirms the physical plausible idea that dissipational effects tend to weaken the stability properties of current-carrying plasma equilibria by breaking the constraints of ideal MHD and allowing for possibly destabilizing effects such as magnetic field line reconfiguration.
Document ID
19890052020
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Brinkmann, R. P.
(NASAFermilab Astrophysics Center Batavia; Chicago, University, IL; Bochum, Ruhr-Universitaet, Federal Republic of Germany, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 1989
Publication Information
Publication: Physics of Fluids B
Volume: 1
ISSN: 0899-8221
Subject Category
Plasma Physics
Accession Number
89A39391
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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