Constance mirror program: Progress and plans

The current state of the mechanics of the Constance II experiment, the physics results gathered, the motivation background, and future plans for the Constance II experiment are reviewed. Several improvements have been made and several experimental investigations have been completed. These include the construction/installation/testing of: (1) liquid-nitrogen cooled, Ioffe bars installed, (2) a diverter coil (3) the 100 kW ICRF generator, (4) the data acquisition system, and (5) the optimum hot-iron operation of the machine with Titanium and pulsed-gas plasma guns. Measurements were made of the density, temperature, and radius of the plasma. Ion-cyclotron fluctuations were observed, their bandwidth measured, and data collected demonstrating resonance heating. New X-ray diagnostics were designed and purchased, and progress on the Thomson scattering was made. Finally, a new hot cathode gun was designed and constructed

Pressure profiles of plasmas confined in the field of a magnetic dipole

Equilibrium pressure profiles of plasmas confined in the field of a dipole magnet are reconstructed using magnetic and x-ray measurements on the levitated dipole experiment (LDX). LDX operates in two distinct modes: with the dipole mechanically supported and with the dipole magnetically levitated. When the dipole is mechanically supported, thermal particles are lost along the field to the supports, and the plasma pressure is highly peaked and consists of energetic, mirror-trapped electrons that are created by electron cyclotron resonance heating. By contrast, when the dipole is magnetically levitated losses to the supports are eliminated and particles are lost via slower cross-field transport that results in broader, but still peaked, plasma pressure profiles.United States. Dept. of Energy (National Science Foundation (U.S.). Partnership in Plasma Science. Grant DE-FG02-00ER54585)United States. Dept. of Energy (National Science Foundation (U.S.). Partnership in Plasma Science. Award PHY-1201896

Preface to the Special Issue: Strategic Opportunities for Fusion Energy

The Journal of Fusion Energy provides a forum for discussion of broader policy and planning issues that play a crucial role in energy fusion programs. In keeping with this purpose and in response to several recent strategic planning efforts worldwide, this Special Issue on Strategic Opportunities was launched with the goal to invite fusion scientists and engineers to record viewpoints of the scientific opportunities and policy issues that can drive continued advancements in fusion energy research

High-Speed imaging of the plasma response to resonant magnetic perturbations in HBT-EP

A Phantom v7.3 fast digital camera was used to study visible light fluctuations in the High Beta Tokamak–Extended Pulse (HBT–EP). This video data is the first to be used to analyze and understand the behavior of long wavelength kink perturbations in a wall-stabilized tokamak. The light was mostly comprised of Dα 656 nm light. Profiles of the plasma light at the midplane were hollow with a radial scale length of approximately 4 cm at the plasma edge. The fast camera was also used to measure the plasma's response to applied helical magnetic perturbations. The programmed toroidal phase angle of the resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) was directly inferred from the resulting images of the plasma response. The plasma response and the intensity of the RMP were compared under different conditions. The resulting amplitude correlations are consistent with previous measurements of the static response using an array of magnetic sensors

Deuterium-tritium TFTR plasmas in the high poloidal beta regime

Deuterium-tritium plasmas with enhanced energy confinement and stability have been produced in the high poloidal beta, advanced tokamak regime in TFTR. Confinement enhancement H {triple_bond} {tau}{sub E}/{tau}{sub E ITER-89P} > 4 has been obtained in a limiter H-mode configuration at moderate plasma current I{sub p} = 0.85 {minus} 1.46 MA. By peaking the plasma current profile, {beta}{sub N dia} {triple_bond} 10{sup 8} aB{sub 0}/I{sub p} = 3 has been obtained in these plasma,s exceeding the {beta}{sub N} limit for TFTR plasmas with lower internal inductance, l{sub i}. Fusion power exceeding 6.7 MW with a fusion power gain Q{sub DT} = 0.22 has been produced with reduced alpha particle first orbit loss provided by the increased l{sub i}

Effect of toroidal plasma flow and flow shear on global MHD modes

The effect of a subsonic toroidal flow on the linear magnetohydrodynamic stability of a tokamak plasma surrounded by an external resistive wall is studied. A complex non-self-adjoint eigenvalue problem for the stability of general kink and tearing modes is formulated, solved numerically, and applied to high {beta} tokamaks. Results indicate that toroidal plasma flow, in conjunction with dissipation in the plasma, can open a window of stability for the position of the external wall. In this window, stable plasma beta values can significantly exceed those predicted by the Troyon scaling law with no wall. Computations utilizing experimental data indicate good agreement with observations

High beta tokamak research

This report discussion the following on high beta tokamaks: basic machine operation; operational parameter space; and plasma impurity control

High beta tokamak research. Progress report, November 1991--December 1992

This report discussion the following on high beta tokamaks: basic machine operation; operational parameter space; and plasma impurity control