Inversion of Eddy-Current Data via Conjugate Gradients

In a companion paper, [1], we developed a rigorous, nonlinear model for inverting eddy-current data by means of the conjugate gradient algorithm. In this paper we will present some results obtained from the linearized version of the rigorous model. In this version we assume that the electric field within the flaw is simply the incident field that exists in the absence of the flaw

Correlation Between Q-Angle, Arch Index, and Weight Distribution Dependent on Supination and Pronation While Walking

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Gender, war and militarism: making and questioning the links

The gender dynamics of militarism have traditionally been seen as straightforward, given the cultural mythologies of warfare and the disciplining of ‘masculinity’ that occurs in the training and use of men's capacity for violence in the armed services. However, women's relation to both war and peace has been varied and complex. It is women who have often been most prominent in working for peace, although there are no necessary links between women and opposition to militarism. In addition, more women than ever are serving in many of today's armies, with feminists rather uncertain on how to relate to this phenomenon. In this article, I explore some of the complexities of applying gender analyses to militarism and peace work in sites of conflict today, looking most closely at the Israeli feminist group, New Profile, and their insistence upon the costs of the militarized nature of Israeli society. They expose the very permeable boundaries between the military and civil society, as violence seeps into the fears and practices of everyday life in Israel. I place their work in the context of broader feminist analysis offered by researchers such as Cynthia Enloe and Cynthia Cockburn, who have for decades been writing about the ‘masculinist’ postures and practices of warfare, as well as the situation of women caught up in them. Finally, I suggest that rethinking the gendered nature of warfare must also encompass the costs of war to men, whose fundamental vulnerability to psychological abuse and physical injury is often downplayed, whether in mainstream accounts of warfare or in more specific gender analysis. Feminists need to pay careful attention to masculinity and its fragmentations in addressing the topic of gender, war and militarism

The role of the neutral beam fueling profile in the performance of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor and other tokamak plasmas

Scalings for the stored energy and neutron yield, determined from experimental data are applied to both deuterium-only and deuterium-tritium plasmas in different neutral beam heated operational domains in Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor. The domain of the data considered includes the Supershot, High poloidal beta, Low-mode, and limiter High-mode operational regimes, as well as discharges with a reversed magnetic shear configuration. The new important parameter in the present scaling is the peakedness of the heating beam fueling profile shape. Ion energy confinement and neutron production are relatively insensitive to other plasma parameters compared to the beam fueling peakedness parameter and the heating beam power when considering plasmas that are stable to magnetohydrodynamic modes. However, the stored energy of the electrons is independent of the beam fueling peakedness. The implication of the scalings based on this parameter is related to theoretical transport models such as radial electric field shear and Ion Temperature Gradient marginality models. Similar physics interpretation is provided for beam heated discharges on other major tokamaks

High performance deuterium-tritium plasmas in TFTR

Plasmas composed of nominally equal concentrations of deuterium and tritium (DT) have been created in TFTR with the goals of producing significant levels of fusion power and of examining the effects of DT fusion alpha particles. Conditioning of the limiter by the injection of lithium pellets has led to an approximate doubling of the energy confinement time, {tau}{sub E}, in supershot plasmas at high plasma current (I{sub p} {le} 2.5 MA) and high heating power (P{sub b} {le} 33 MW). Operation with DT typically results in an additional 20% increase in {tau}{sub E}. 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} 1.5 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 plasmas, exceeding the {beta}{sub N} limit for TFTR plasmas with lower internal inductance, l{sub i}. Confinement of alpha particles appears to be classical and losses due to collective effects have not been observed. While small fluctuations in fusion product loss were observed during ELMs, no large loss was detected in DT plasmas

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}

Modification Of The Electron Energy Distribution Function During Lithium Experiments On The National Spherical Torus Experiment

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) has recently studied the use of a liquid lithium divertor (LLD). Divertor Langmuir probes have also been installed for making measurements of the local plasma conditions. A non-local probe interpretation method is used to supplement the classical probe interpretation and obtain measurements of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) which show the occurrence of a hot-electron component. Analysis is made of two discharges within a sequence that exhibited changes in plasma fueling efficiency. It is found that the local electron temperature increases and that this increase is most strongly correlated with the energy contained within the hot-electron population. Preliminary interpretative modeling indicates that kinetic effects are likely in the NSTX

Flux Consumption Optimization and the Achievement of 1MA Discharge on NSTX

The spherical tokamak (ST), because of its slender central column, has very limited volt-second capability relative to a standard aspect ratio tokamak of similar plasma cross-section. Recent experiments on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) have begun to quantify and optimize the ohmic current drive efficiency in a MA-class ST device. Sustainable ramp-rates in excess of 5MA/sec during the current rise phase have been achieved on NSTX, while faster ramps generate significant MHD activity. Discharges with IP exceeding 1MA have been achieved in NSTX with nominal parameters: aspect ratio A=1.3-1.4, elongation k=2-2.2, triangularity d=0.4, internal inductance li=0.6, and Ejima coefficient CE =0.35. Flux consumption efficiency results, performance improvements associated with first boronization, and comparisons to neo-classical resistivity are described