Electromagnetic ion temperature gradient modes of tearing mode parity in high β sheared slab plasmas Available to Purchase

The ion temperature gradient modes of tearing mode parity are investigated for arbitrary β (=plasma pressure/magnetic pressure) plasmas in a sheared slab. Under the low β limit, the results agree with Reynders’ conclusion that the lowest order $(l=1)$ mode of tearing mode parity persists after the fundamental mode $(l=0)$ of drift mode parity is completely stabilized by finite β [J. V. M. Reynders, Phys. Plasmas 1, 1953 (1994)]. However, when the effects of the magnetic gradient drift and the coupling to the compressional Alfvén waves are included, the $l=0$ mode is more difficult to stabilize than the $l=1$ mode. It is also shown that the $l=1$ mode is much easier to stabilize by the magnetic shear than the $l=0$ mode. Generally, the $l=1$ mode grows faster in the low magnetic shear and low β regime while the $l=0$ mode is the dominant eigenmode of ion temperature gradient instability in high β plasmas.