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(TH/2-5) Nonlinear 2D Convection and Enhanced Cross-Field Plasma Transport Near the MHD Instability Threshold

V.P. Pastukhov¹⁾, N.V. Chudin^1)
 
1) RRC ``Kurchatov Institute'', Moscow, Russia

Abstract.  Results of theoretical study and computer simulations of nonlinear 2D convection induced by a convective MHD instability near its threshold in FRC-like nonparaxial magnetic confinement system are presented. An appropriate closed set of weakly nonideal reduced MHD equations is derived to describe the self-consistent plasma dynamics. It is shown that the convection forms nonlinear large scale stochastic vortices (convective cells), which tend to restore and to maintain the marginally stable pressure profile and result in an essentially nonlocal enhanced heat transport. A large amount of data on the structure of the nascent convective flows is obtained and analyzed. The results obtained demonstrate various regimes of the anomalous energy and density transport.

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