Low-Frequency Continuous MHD Spectrum of Toroidally Rotating Tokamak Plasmas with Anisotropic Pressure

Abstract

Continuous-spectrum equations for low-frequency ideal magnetohydrodynamic perturbations in toroidally rotating plasmas with anisotropic pressure in axisymmetric tokamaks are derived in the framework of the Chew–Goldberger–Low model. In the rotating coordinate system, these equations describe the toroidal coupling of Alfvén and slow magnetosonic modes due to the curvature of magnetic field lines, the pressure anisotropy, and the centrifugal and Coriolis effects. The derived general equations are applied to study the spectra of both the zonal flows and the general electromagnetic modes in low-pressure large-aspect-ratio tokamaks. The condition for the instability of zonal flows due to plasma stratification over the poloidal angle on a magnetic surface is obtained. It is shown that a similar instability takes place for the general modes localized in the vicinities of rational magnetic surfaces. Stabilization of this instability by the Alfvén effect for the modes localized far from rational surfaces is shown.