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The spectrum of MHD flows about X points

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 1998

R. J. NIJBOER
Affiliation:
FOM–Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, Edisonbaan 14, Postbus 1207, 3430 BE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
J. P. GOEDBLOED
Affiliation:
FOM–Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, Edisonbaan 14, Postbus 1207, 3430 BE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
A. E. LIFSCHITZ
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA

Abstract

A recently proposed method to calculate the spectrum of linear, incompressible, unbounded plasma flows is applied to magnetohydrodynamic flows about X points. The method transforms the two-dimensional spectral problem in physical space into a one-dimensional problem in Fourier space. The latter problem is far easier to solve. Application of this method to X-point plasma flows results in two kinds of essential spectra. One kind corresponds to stable perturbations and the other one to perturbations that become overstable whenever the square of the poloidal Alfvén Mach number becomes larger than 1. Apart from these two spectra, no other spectral values were found.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
1998 Cambridge University Press

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