Calculation of resistive magnetohydrodynamics and two-fluid tearing modes by example of reversed-field-pinch-like plasma

An algorithm suitable for numerical solution of linear eigenmode problems in resistive magnetohydrodynamics MHD and two-fluid MHD models without prior approximations is presented. For these plasma models, sets of equations suitable for numerical solution are derived and the details of the algorithm of this solution are given. The algorithm is general and is suitable for solution of boundary eigenmode problems for different plasma configurations. It is most effective, however, in one-dimensional models since the grid size has to be sufficiently small in order to resolve the tearing layer together with the scale of the size of the plasma. The technique is applied for solving for tearing eigenmodes in reversed field pinch RFP -like plasma in plane geometry. Results of resistive MHD and two-fluid models are compared in this case, showing that the two-fluid effects on tearing modes in RFPs are sizable. © 2008 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2917916