Stability of plasmas through magnetic helicity

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Candelaresi, Simon, Del Sordo, Fabio
Format: Preprint
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866910729976676352
author Candelaresi, Simon
Del Sordo, Fabio
author_facet Candelaresi, Simon
Del Sordo, Fabio
contents Magnetic helicity, and more broadly magnetic field line topology, impose constraints on the plasma dynamics. Helically interlocked magnetic rings are in a non-trivial topological state. It is harder to bring them into a topologically trivial state than two rings that are not linked. This particular restriction has the consequence that helical plasmas exhibit increased stability in laboratory devices, in the Sun and in the intergalactic medium. Here we discuss how a magnetic field is stabilizing the plasma and preventing it from disruption by the presence of magnetic helicity. We present observational results, numerical experiments and analytical results that illustrate how helical magnetic fields strongly contribute to the long-term stability of some plasmas. We discuss several cases, such as that of solar corona, toroidal fusion devices, the galactic and extragalactic medium, with a special emphasis on extragalactic bubbles.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2112_01193
institution arXiv
publishDate 2021
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Stability of plasmas through magnetic helicity
Candelaresi, Simon
Del Sordo, Fabio
Plasma Physics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Space Physics
Magnetic helicity, and more broadly magnetic field line topology, impose constraints on the plasma dynamics. Helically interlocked magnetic rings are in a non-trivial topological state. It is harder to bring them into a topologically trivial state than two rings that are not linked. This particular restriction has the consequence that helical plasmas exhibit increased stability in laboratory devices, in the Sun and in the intergalactic medium. Here we discuss how a magnetic field is stabilizing the plasma and preventing it from disruption by the presence of magnetic helicity. We present observational results, numerical experiments and analytical results that illustrate how helical magnetic fields strongly contribute to the long-term stability of some plasmas. We discuss several cases, such as that of solar corona, toroidal fusion devices, the galactic and extragalactic medium, with a special emphasis on extragalactic bubbles.
title Stability of plasmas through magnetic helicity
topic Plasma Physics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Space Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.01193