The physics which determines the phase-velocity of a comparatively wide, isolated, magnetic island, formed as a result of a nonlinear tearing instability in a magnetic confinement device relying on the existence of nested magnetic flux surfaces, is investigated using a two-fluid model in slab geometry. It is found that the phase velocity is fixed by momentum transport across the magnetic flux surfaces in the region immediately surrounding the magnetic separatrix. Analytic predictions for the phase velocity are obtained, and are successfully benchmarked against the results of two-dimensional, drift-magnetohydrodynamical simulations.
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Fitzpatrick et al. (2005) studied this question.
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