Millimeter Wave Tokamak Heating and Current Drive With a High Power Free Electron Laser

Experiments on microwave generation using a free electron laser (FEL) have shown this to be an efficient way to generate millimeter wave power in short, intense pulses. Short pulse FEL's have several advantages that make them attractive for application to ECR heating of tokamak fusion reactors. This paper reports on plans made to demonstrate the technology at the Microwave Tokamak Experiment (MTX) Facility

Spheromak Power and Helicity Balance

This note addresses the division of gun power and helicity between the open line volume and the closed flux surface volume in a steady state flux core spheromak. Our assumptions are that fine scale turbulence maintains each region close to a Taylor state, {mu}{sub o}J = {lambda}B. The gun region that feeds these two volumes surrounded by a flux conserver is shown topologically below. (The actual geometry is toroidal). Flux and current from the magnetized gun flow on open lines around the entire closed surface containing the spheromak. The gun current flows down the potential gradient, the potential difference between the two ends of each line being the gun voltage. Here, the gun voltage excludes the sheath drops at each end. When these volumes have different values of {lambda} (ratio of {mu}{sub o}B{sup -2}j {center_dot} B in each region) in the open line volume V{sub 1} and the closed spheromak volume V{sub 2} the efficiency of transferring the gun power to the spheromak to sustain the ohmic loss is the {lambda}-ratio of these regions, in the limit V{sub 1} << V{sub 2}. This result follows immediately from helicity balance in that limit. Here we give an accounting of all the gun power, and do not assume a small edge (open line) region

Progress toward fusion energy

This paper summarizes the basis for the present optimism in the magnetic fusion program, and describes some of the remaining tasks leading to a demonstration power reactor and the primary technologies necessary for that endeavor

The SSPX Bolometer Systems

There are two bolometry systems on SSPX, one that measures the total radiated power and a 16-channel array to measure the radiation profile. The first collimates the radiation through two slits in the horizontal plane spaced a distance s = 1.2 cm apart as in Fig 1. The slit heights are h = 1/100 th of an inch, and the detector material is behind the second one. The number of electrons generated per photon is proportional to the photon energy (except for a factor of 3-4 enhancement in efficiency in the visible) so that the current of electrons is proportional to the power received. The power is in turn the product of the flux hitting the detector material and the projected perpendicular area of the slab material to the line of sight (which is often at an angle to the slab)

MFTF-progress and promise

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) has been in construction at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for 3 years, and most of the major subsystems are nearing completion. Recently, the scope of this project was expanded to meet new objectives, principally to reach plasma conditions corresponding to energy break-even. To fulfill this promise, the single-cell minimum-B mirror configuration will be replaced with a tandem mirror configuration (MFTF-B). The facility must accordingly be expanded to accomodate the new geometry. This paper briefly discusses the status of the major MFTF subsystems and describes how most of the technological objectives of MFTF will be demonstrated before we install the additional systems necessary to make the tandem. It also summarizes the major features of the expanded facility

Spheromak Power and Helicity Balance

This note addresses the division of gun power and helicity between the open line volume and the closed flux surface volume in a steady state flux core spheromak. Our assumptions are that fine scale turbulence maintains each region close to an axisymmetric Taylor state, {mu}{sub o}j = {lambda}B. The gun region that feeds these two volumes surrounded by a flux conserver is shown topologically below. (The actual geometry is toroidal). Flux and current from the magnetized gun flow on open lines around the entire closed surface containing the spheromak. The gun current flows down the potential gradient, the potential difference between the two ends of each line being the gun voltage. Here, the gun voltage excludes the sheath drops at each end. These volumes have different values of {lambda} in each region (open line volume V{sub 1} and closed spheromak volume V{sub 2}) and we want to calculate the efficiency of transferring the gun power to the spheromak to sustain the ohmic loss in steady state

Fusion technology status and requirements

This paper summarizes the status of fusion technology and discusses the requirements to be met in order to build a demonstration fusion plant. Strategies and programmatic considerations in pursuing engineering feasibility are also outlined

Flexibility of MFTF-B for thermal-barrier modifications and axisymmetric upgrades

Flexibility in MFTB-B will be achieved partly by using the margins in particle and energy control designed into the machine and partly by making modest changes based on results obtained in TMX Upgrade. This latter flexibility is permitted by the schedule for vessel construction and component fabrication. The changes we might expect were determined by an examination of the processes involved in creating a thermal barrier and by speculating on the range of outcomes from TMX Upgrade experiments

Technology for large tandem mirror experiments

Construction of a large tandem mirror (MFTF-B) will soon begin at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Designed to reach break-even plasma conditions, the facility will significantly advance the physics and technology of magnetic-mirror-based fusion reactors. This paper describes the objectives and the design of the facility

Microwave free-electron laser applications for electron cyclotron heating of plasmas

Millimeter wave power may be the ideal source of heat for a plasma, but advances in technology are needed to meet requirements of next generation fusion devices. Free electron lasers (FEL) are one candidate for such sources, and this paper reviews the progress, issues of physics and technology, and potential benefits for fusion from these devices. 15 refs., 13 figs