The change in the magnetic energy density produced by a collisional tearing mode is calculated exactly. The driving energy for the mode is found to come entirely from the region inside the tearing layer, although there is also a displacement of energy in the outer region which integrates to zero. The total change in magnetic energy is exactly equal to the change in a quadratic form related to a variational principle for the full resistive equations.
REFERENCES
1.
H. P. Furth, in Propagation and Instabilities in Plasmas, edited by W. I. Futterman (Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif., 1963), p. 87.
2.
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R. B.
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also P. H. Rutherford and H. P. Furth, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Report MATT‐872 (1971).
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I. B.
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Frieman
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© 1980 American Institute of Physics.
1980
American Institute of Physics
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