ISSN:
1089-7674
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
A general solenoidal vector field, such as a magnetic field or an incompressible flow, can be decomposed into an orthogonal sum of Beltrami fields (eigenfunctions of the curl operator). Nonlinear dynamics of a plasma induces complex couplings among these Beltrami fields. In a single-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) plasma, however, the energy condensates into a single Beltrami magnetic field resulting in the self-organization of a force-free equilibrium, that is, the Taylor relaxed state. By relating the velocity and the magnetic fields, the Hall term in the two-fluid model leads to a singular perturbation that enables the formation of an equilibrium given by a pair of two different Beltrami fields. This new set of relaxed states, despite the simple mathematical structure, includes a variety of plasma states that could explain a host of interesting phenomena. The H-mode (high-confinement) boundary layer, where a diamagnetic structure is self-organized under the coupling of the magnetic field, flow, electric field, and pressure, is an example. The theory also predicts the possibility of producing high beta equilibrium. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1354149
Permalink
