Statistical-mechanics approach to stability of current-carrying plasmas
- 13 January 1986
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 56 (2) , 143-146
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.56.143
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.Keywords
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