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Current driven rotating kink mode in a plasma column with a non-line-tied free end

I. Furno·T. P. Intrator·S. Abbate·T. Madziwa-Nussinov·A. Light·L. Dorf·G. Lapenta·D. D. Ryutov
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Abstract

First experimental measurements are presented for the kink instability in a linear plasma column which is insulated from an axial boundary by finite sheath resistivity. Instability threshold below the classical Kruskal-Shafranov threshold, axially asymmetric mode structure and rotation are observed. These are accurately reproduced by a recent kink theory, which includes axial plasma flow and one end of the plasma column that is free to move due to a non-line-tied boundary condition.

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I. Furno, T. P. Intrator, S. Abbate, T. Madziwa-Nussinov, A. Light, L. Dorf, G. Lapenta, D. D. Ryutov. 2006-08-26. Current driven rotating kink mode in a plasma column with a non-line-tied free end. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.97.015002

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