PPPL-5313

Quasi-static and dynamic magnetic tension forces in arched, line-tied magnetic flux ropes

Authors: C. E. Myers, M. Yamada, H. Ji, J. Yoo, J. Jara-Almonte, and W. Fox

Abstract: Solar eruptions are often driven by magnetohydrodynamic instabilities such as the torus and kink instabilities that act on line-tied magnetic  flux ropes. Recent laboratory experiments designed to study these eruptive instabilities have demonstrated the key role of both dynamic [Myers et al., Nature 528, 526 (2015)] and quasi-static [Myers et al., Phys. Plasmas, submitted (2016)] magnetic tension forces in contributing to the equilibrium and stability of line-tied magnetic flux ropes. In this paper, we synthesize these laboratory results and explore the relationship between the dynamic and quasi-static tension forces. While the quasi-static tension force is found to contribute to the flux rope equilibrium in a number of regimes, the dynamic tension force is significant mostly in the so-called failed torus regime where magnetic self-organization events prevent the  flux rope from erupting.

Submitted to: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
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