Tearing Modes

Resistive instabilities that tear magnetic surfaces into islands, degrading confinement.

Tearing modes let magnetic surfaces reconnect into islands that short-circuit confinement across them. Neoclassical tearing modes are a common performance limiter, controllable with localised current drive.

Tearing modes let magnetic surfaces reconnect into islands that short-circuit confinement across them, and the neoclassical variety is a leading performance limiter. The standard cure is surgical: drive replacement current at the island with steerable electron-cyclotron waves, restoring the surface.