Plasma confinement during a period of reduced fluctuations in `ZETA'

Gibson, A.; Coxell, H.; Powell, B A; Reid, G.W.

doi:10.1088/0032-1028/9/1/302

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The energy confinement of the outer regions near the field-reversal surface may be a factor controlling the decay of the reversed B<£ during quiescence. Measurements with an electron probe analyser [179] and a Langmuir probe show the electron temperature in this region to be = 20 eV, and this value can account for the diffusion of the reversed B$ on a classical basis. This interpretation was made before the present understanding of relaxation; on the latter basis, loss of reversal is due to the fall of 0 of the order 1.2 (see 8.5.3.…”

Section: Energy Balance In the Outer Regionsmentioning

confidence: 89%

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Reversed-field-pinch research

1980

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Theoretical and experimental research in the reversed-field pinch (RFP) is reviewed. In this system, Bθ ∼ Bϕ, q < 1 and Bϕ reverses in the outer regions of the plasma; stability at relatively high values of β is possible because there is high shear and, experimentally, confinement with β > 10% has been observed. Following a historical review of pinch research, the basic theoretical properties of the RFP are established including the equilibrium, toroidal displacement, diffusion and confinement; studies of ideal and dissipative MHD stability theory are then described. Experimental and theoretical work on relaxation and self-reversal, the process whereby an RFP distribution can be set up spontaneously and subsequently sustained, is presented and discussed. There follows a general account of RFP experiments. These are divided into ‘fast experiments’, which utilize small-bore insulating tori in which the distribution is usually set up by fast programming on microsecond timescales, and ‘slow experiments’, carried out in large metal-walled tori in which the field configuration is set up slowly by self-reversal on millisecond timescales. A brief account of RFP reactor studies and of new and future experiments is then given, followed finally by a general discussion in which the main conclusions are presented.

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Section: Energy Balance In the Outer Regionsmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…The QP was discovered after several years operation relatively late in the experimental programme and, an account of this work, appears in five papers [63], [66,[175][176][177], a few earlier ones [62,178,179], and in some reports.…”

Section: Table IV Parameters Of Slow Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reversed-field-pinch research

1980

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“…1966; Gibson et al. 1967). In these early pinch experiments, a toroidal field is first created by external coils and a toroidal current is then induced in the plasma (essentially by a transformer in which the plasma torus is the secondary).…”

Section: Plasma Relaxationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plasma relaxation theory (Taylor 1974b(Taylor , 1975(Taylor , 1986(Taylor , 2000 has its origin in early experiments on toroidal pinches -notably ZETA (Butt et al 1966;Gibson et al 1967). In these early pinch experiments, a toroidal field B 0 is first created by external coils and a toroidal current I is then induced in the plasma (essentially by a transformer in which the plasma torus is the secondary).…”

Section: Plasma Relaxationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Special topics in plasma confinement

Taylor

Newton

2015

J. Plasma Phys.

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These notes are based on lectures given by one of us (J.B.T.) at the University of Texas in Austin in 1991. Part I concerns some basic features of plasma confinement by magnetic fields as an introduction to an account of plasma relaxation in Part II. Part III discusses confinement by magnetic mirrors, especially minimum-B systems. It also includes a general discussion of adiabatic invariants and of the principle of maximal ordering in perturbation theory. Part IV is devoted to the analysis of perturbations in toroidal plasmas and the stability of ballooning modes. PREFACEThe theory of plasma confinement is complicated and incomplete. Because current textbooks do not include material at the frontier of research, it is hard for students and researchers to become familiar with the state of the art. Bryan Taylor's notes are presented here to start filling that gap. Although based on lectures from over twenty years ago, they provide much needed clarity in selected areas of current plasma confinement research. Of course much of the original work on which these notes are based is by Bryan Taylor and collaborators; but here, he and Sarah Newton draw the many threads together. Indeed, while some may find the results familiar, the insight is fresh and enlightening. The research frontier is just beyond these notes. Some of the outstanding questions are posed and some are left to the reader to discern. For example, we still need to know: how fast plasmas relax; how three-dimensional reconnection works; how ballooning modes saturate and; how minimum B ideas can improve toroidal devices. The insights here will help anyone wanting to answer those and other questions.

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“…At the 1965 IAEA meeting in Culham, most experiments continued to be limited by Bohm diffusion, but a quiescent period was discovered while analysing the current ramp down phase of ZETA [27]. The quiescent period coincided with the formation of a reversed current layer that had strong magnetic shear, and provided evidence that magnetic shear could stabilize instabilities in a toroidal plasma.…”

Section: Fusion Plasma Physics a New Scientific Discipline Was Born I...mentioning

confidence: 99%

50 years of fusion research

Meade¹

2009

Nucl. Fusion

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Fusion energy research began in the early 1950s as scientists worked to harness the awesome power of the atom for peaceful purposes. There was early optimism for a quick solution for fusion energy as there had been for fission. However, this was soon tempered by reality as the difficulty of producing and confining fusion fuel at temperatures of 100 million • C in the laboratory was appreciated. Fusion research has followed two main pathsinertial confinement fusion and magnetic confinement fusion. Over the past 50 years, there has been remarkable progress with both approaches, and now each has a solid technical foundation that has led to the construction of major facilities that are aimed at demonstrating fusion energy producing plasmas.

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Plasma confinement during a period of reduced fluctuations in `ZETA'

Cited by 7 publications

References 6 publications

Reversed-field-pinch research

Reversed-field-pinch research

Special topics in plasma confinement

50 years of fusion research

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