Extended theory of interface localized modes

The theory of resistive free boundary modes localized at the plasma–vacuum interface in a plane slab equilibrium is improved and extended. If one proceeds to sufficiently small wavelengths, then the stability criterion (the current density vector must not have a component along the magnetic field vector in the interface) remains unchanged, but the unstable eigenmodes become independent of resistivity, and their growth rates diverge like the inverse square root of the wavelength.