ISSN:
1089-7674
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
The set of families of steady state solutions of the energy equation with a heat diffusion term and a heat/loss term in a slab-like geometry have been obtained and their stability, up to the third order, analyzed by applying Landau's method. For optically thin plasmas with solar abundances and with temperatures greater than 102 K, the kind of stability (instability) resulting for different heating mechanisms, as well as different heat diffusion laws, has been studied. In particular, the dependence of the linear rate, the second and third order Landau constants and the spatial temperature distribution of finite temperature disturbances on the degree of inhomogeneity of the initially steady state temperature distribution has been analyzed. A two parameter classification of the initially steady solutions has been obtained according to whether they show supercritical or asymptotic stability, or subcritical or superexponential instability. In general, inclusion of inhomogeneity increases the variety of cases and, in particular, those cases where the nonlinear stability is opposite to the linear stability. In many cases the second order is stable for positive perturbations, and unstable for negative perturbations, suggesting the formation of various types of condensations. © 1997 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.872409
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