Collisional Tearing in Field-Reversed Configurations

Phys. Fluids 27, 2877 (1984)https://ireap.umd.edu/10.1063/1.8646011984Journal ArticlePlasma, Accelerator, and Nuclear Physics

It is shown by employing a more complete Ohm’s law that field‐reversed plasma configurations may magnetically tear at a rate proportional to η^1/2, where η is the resistivity. Such a growth rate obtains if the current layer width is small enough and the plasma is not too collisional, the rate reverting to the usual η^3/5 scaling otherwise. The present theory, however, assumes cold ions, an assumption that would have to be relaxed for most applications.