Containment Forces in Low Energy States of Plasmoids

Authors

Daniel R. Wells, University of Miami
Lawrence Carl Hawkins, University of MiamiFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-1987

Publication Title

Journal of Plasma Physics

ISSN

0022-3778

Volume

38

Issue/No.

2

First Page

263

Last Page

274

Abstract

The application of Hamilton's principle to the problem of the determination of the structure of low free energy state plasmoids is discussed. It is shown that Clebsch representations of the vector fields and representations involving side conditions on the functional result in the same sets of Euler–Lagrange equations. The relationship of these representations to the problem of containment forces in vortex structures (plasmoids) is considered. It is demonstrated that the lowest free energy state of an incompressible plasma is always Lorentz force and Magnus force free. For a compressible plasma obeying the adiabatic gas laws, the Magnus force is finite. Introduction of conservation of angular momentum as an additional side condition also results in finite containment forces

Comments

© Cambridge University Press 1987

NSUWorks Citation

Wells, Daniel R. and Hawkins, Lawrence Carl, "Containment Forces in Low Energy States of Plasmoids" (1987). Mathematics Faculty Articles. 46.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/math_facarticles/46

DOI

10.1017/S0022377800012563