Multiple states of nonlinear drift-tearing islands

Phys Rev Lett. 2004 Aug 13;93(7):075001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.075001. Epub 2004 Aug 9.

Abstract

Nonlinear drift-tearing magnetic islands are studied numerically with a four-field model that includes the parallel ion dynamics. In certain regions of the parameter space, multiple solutions are found. In particular, linearly stable drift-tearing perturbations can grow to finite size magnetic islands when the amplitude of the initial perturbation is sufficiently large.