Statistical-mechanics approach to stability of current-carrying plasmas
Abstract
The stability problem for strongly inhomogeneous plasma equilibria is treated by the method of relaxation under constraints. By use of statistical mechanics, a thermodynamic potential is derived for two-dimensional plasma configurations. As a consequence of a suitable constraint the plasma carries a nonvanishing electrical current. The state variables include the average electromagnetic fields. With the aid of the second law of thermodynamics the thermodynamic potential provides a necessary and sufficient stability criterion.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- January 1986
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.56.143
- Bibcode:
- 1986PhRvL..56..143K
- Keywords:
-
- Magnetohydrodynamic Stability;
- Nonuniform Plasmas;
- Plasma Currents;
- Statistical Mechanics;
- Cartesian Coordinates;
- Geomagnetism;
- Liapunov Functions;
- Maxwell Equation;
- Relaxation Method (Mathematics);
- Thermodynamics;
- Plasma Physics;
- 52.35.Py;
- 05.70.Ce;
- 52.25.Kn;
- Macroinstabilities;
- Thermodynamic functions and equations of state;
- Thermodynamics of plasmas