title: Current-driven rotating-kink mode in a plasma column with a non-line-tied free end.
abstract: First experimental measurements are presented for the kink instability in a linear plasma column which is insulated from an axial boundary by finite sheath resistivity. An instability threshold below the classical Kruskal-Shafranov threshold, axially asymmetric mode structure, and rotation are observed. These are accurately reproduced by a recent kink theory, which includes axial plasma flow and one end of the plasma column that is free to move due to a non-line-tied boundary condition.
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop E526, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA. ivo.furno@epfl.ch
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Furno
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Intrator
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Ryutov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Madziwa-Nussinov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Light
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dorf
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lapenta