Dynamical determination of ohmic states of a cylindrical pinch

The dual problems of generation and sustainment of the reversed axial field are studied. It is shown that, if a cylindrical plasma is initially in an axisymmetric state with a sufficient degree of paramagnetism, field reversal can be attained by mode activity of a single helicity. The initial paramagnetism may be due to the method of pinch formation, as in fast experiments, or to a gradual altering of the pitch profile resulting from a succession of instabilities. Furthermore, if the total current is kept constant and energy loss and resistivity profiles are included in an ad hoc manner, one finds that the final steady state of the helical instability can be maintained for long times against resistive diffusion without the need for further unstable activity. These states, which possess zero order flow and possibly reversed axial field, represent steady equilibria which simultaneously satisfy force balance and Ohm's law, and are termed Ohmic states.