Peeling of convection cells and the generation of sheared flow

• Published in: Physics of fluids. B, Plasma physics Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 488 - 491
• Main Authors: Drake, J. F., Finn, J. M., Guzdar, P., Shapiro, V., Shevchenko, V., Waelbroeck, F., Hassam, A. B., Liu, C. S., Sagdeev, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY American Institute of Physics 01.03.1992
• Subjects: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES; CONVECTIVE INSTABILITIES; EIGENFUNCTIONS; Exact sciences and technology; FLUID FLOW; FLUID MECHANICS; FUNCTIONS; HYDRODYNAMICS; INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW; INSTABILITY; INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES; MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS; MECHANICS; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; PLASMA; Plasma dynamics and flow; PLASMA INSTABILITY; PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES; ROTATING PLASMA; THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES 700340 > Plasma Waves, Oscillations, & Instabilities > (1992-); TOKAMAK DEVICES; TURBULENCE; VISCOSITY; VORTEX FLOW; VORTICES; TOKAMAK DEVICES; VORTICES; VORTEX FLOW; PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES; TURBULENCE; MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS; VISCOSITY; INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES; EIGENFUNCTIONS; ROTATING PLASMA; INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW; CONVECTIVE INSTABILITIES; Tokamak; Convection cell; Plasma flow; Shear flow; Theoretical study; Numerical simulation; Rotation
• ISSN: 0899-8221; 2163-503X
• DOI: 10.1063/1.860246

A periodic array of convection cells is subject to a ‘‘shear flow’’ instability. The generation of the sheared flow is a consequence of ‘‘peeling’’ of the convection cells. Fluid simulations demonstrate that the efficiency of shear flow generation is high. Implications for understanding poloidal rotation in tokamaks are discussed.