Effect of drift-acoustic waves on magnetic island stability in slab geometry

A mathematical formalism is developed for calculating the ion polarization term in the Rutherford island width evolution equation in the presence of drift-acoustic waves. The calculation is fully nonlinear, includes both ion and electron diamagnetic effects, as well as ion compressibility, but is performed in slab geometry. Magnetic islands propagating in a certain range of phase velocities are found to emit drift-acoustic waves. Wave emission gives rise to rapid oscillations in the ion polarization term as the island phase velocity varies, and also generates a net electromagnetic force acting on the island region. Increasing ion compressibility is found to extend the range of phase velocities over which drift-acoustic wave emission occurs in the electron diamagnetic direction. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.