1. The two basic papers in MHD stability are:
2. An energy principle for hydromagnetic stability problems
3. Finite-Resistivity Instabilities of a Sheet Pinch
4. These are both reprinted in the book “Magnetohydrodynamic Stability and Thermonuclear Containment”, by A. Jeffrey and T. Taniuti, Academic Press, (1966), which also contains reprints of the papers by Newcomb and Suydam on the stability of the pinch.