Explosive instability and erupting flux tubes in a magnetized plasma.
The eruption of multiple flux tubes in a magnetized plasma is proposed as a mechanism for explosive release of energy in plasmas. A significant fraction of the linearly stable isolated flux tubes are shown to be metastable in a box model magnetized atmosphere in which ends of the field lines are embedded in conducting walls. The energy released by destabilizing such field lines can be a large proportion of the gravitational energy stored in the system. This energy can be released in a fast dynamical time.
CCFE, Culham Science Centre , Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB, UK ; Department of Physics , Imperial College , Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, UK.
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0000-0002-1112-6392
SC
Cowley
Department of Physics , University College London , London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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B
Cowley
York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics , University of York , Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
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0000-0002-1949-7032
SA
Henneberg
York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics , University of York , Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
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0000-0003-3333-7470
HR
Wilson
energy release; metastable flux tubes; plasmas