A new formulation of the resistive magnetohydrodynamics stability problem for finite beta toroidal plasmas

A new approach to the study of linear resistive magnetohydrodynamics stabil ity is described. The approach is based on the traditional toroidal plasma model where the plasma resistivity and mass effects are essential only in t hin layers around resonance surfaces, whereas the outer plasma is ideal and inertia free. This leads to differential equations with singular points. A new technique to solve these equations is proposed and it is shown that it has superior numerical convergence and accuracy properties to previous met hods. The new technique is generally applicable to other problems in which differential equations with singular points arise. (C) 2000 American Instit ute of Physics. [S1070- 664X(00)02610-0].