Interchange instability

Article summary

The interchange instability, also known as the Kruskal–Schwarzschild instability or flute instability, is a type of plasma instability seen in magnetic fusion energy that is driven by the gradients in the magnetic pressure in areas where the confining magnetic field is curved. The name of the instability refers to the action of the plasma changing position with the magnetic field lines (i.e. an interchange of the lines of force in space ) without significant disturbance to the geometry of the external field. The instability causes flute-like structures to appear on the surface of the plasma, hence it is also referred to as the flute instability. The interchange instability is a key issue in the field of fusion energy, where magnetic fields are used to confine a plasma in a volume surrounded by the field. The basic concept was first noted in a 1954 paper by Martin David Kruskal and Martin Schwarzschild, who demonstrated that a situation similar to the Rayleigh–Taylor instability in classic fluids existed in magnetically confined plasmas. The problem can occur anywhere where the magnetic field is concave with the plasma on the inside of the curve. Edward Teller gave a talk on the issue at a meeting later that year, pointing out that it appeared to be an issue in most of the fusion devices being studied at that time.…

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