Paper detail

Impact Of A Uniform Plasma Resistivity In MHD Modelling Of Helical Solutions For The Reversed Field Pinch Dynamo

Till now the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the reversed field pinch (RFP) has been performed by assuming axis-symmetric radial time independent dissipation profiles. In helical states this assumption is not correct since these dissipations should be flux functions, and should exhibit a helical symmetry as well. Therefore more correct simulations should incorporate self-consistent dissipation profiles. As a first step in this direction, the case of uniform dissipation profiles was considered by using the 3D nonlinear visco-resistive MHD code SpeCyl. It is found that a flattening of the resistivity profile results in the reduction of the dynamo action, which brings to marginally-reversed or even non-reversed equilibrium solutions. The physical origin of this result is discussed in relation to the electrostatic drift explanation of the RFP dynamo. This sets constraints on the functional choice of dissipations in future self-consistent simulations.