Abstract
The ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations are usually derived under the assumption VA≪c, where VA is the Alfv́n speed and c is the speed of light. This system of equations is extended to low density plasmas wherein VA can be comparable to or greater than c. This involves relaxation of the usual charge quasineutrality assumption and the inclusion of electromagnetic momentum on par with plasma momentum. The extended system is applied to interchange instabilities in "line-tied" slab geometry as well as to centrifugally confined plasmas. It is found that interchange growth rates are reduced by a factor of 1+VA2c2, corresponding to a larger effective mass resulting from the extra electromagnetic momentum. Line tying is unaffected.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 032107 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Physics of Plasmas |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2005 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Condensed Matter Physics