Quasilinear Evolution of the Self-Filamentation Instability

Phys. Fluids 29, 4103 (1986)https://ireap.umd.edu/10.1063/1.8657531986Journal ArticlePlasma, Accelerator, and Nuclear Physics

A thermally inhomogeneous plasma immersed in a strong uniform magnetic field may be unstable to the formation of current filaments aligned to the field propagating at the diamagnetic drift frequency. The quasilinear evolution of this self‐filamentation is studied. Transverse magnetic fields generated by the currents bring into thermal contact unequal temperature surfaces leading to a relaxation of the thermal gradient. For weak gradients, the instability is shown to saturate at a constant amplitude while, for stronger gradients, periodic behavior is exhibited. The transition from saturation to periodic behavior is predicted analytically from a three‐wave model. The anomalous heat transport resulting from the instability is assessed.