Equilibrium, stability, and deeply trapped energetic particle confinement calculations for I = 2 torsatron/heliotron configurations

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Fusion Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5002797

Nakamura, Y; Wakatani, M ^[1]; Leboeuf, J N; Carreras, B A; Dominguez, N; Holmes, J A; Lynch, V E; Painter, S L ^[2]; Garcia, L ^[3]

---

1. Kyoto Univ., Plasma Physics Lab., Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto (JP)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., Oak Ridge, TN (US)
3. Univ. Complutense and Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (ES)

This paper studies confinement properties of 1 = 2 torsatron/heliotron configurations with number of toroidal field periods, M, in the range of 10 to 14. This involves the calculation of zero-current and flux-conserving equilibria; stability against Mercier modes and low-n ideal modes, with n denoting the toroidal mode number; and orbit confinement of deeply trapped energetic particles. Optimization of both magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and transport properties is pursued under the condition of plasma aspect ratio A = R/a {ge} 7, with R denoting the major radius and a the average plasma radius. For configurations with M, {le} 12, an average MHD beta limit of 4 to 5% is possible. The addition of a quadrupole field improves the confinement of trapped particles at zero pressure, but particle losses increase with increasing beta. This loss is less severe if the vacuum magnetic axis is shifted slightly inward. A configuration with M = 10, a coil pitch parameter p{sub c} in the range 1.25 to 1.30, and an added quadrupole field satisfies the beta and energetic particle confinement requirements for the next generation of large torsatron/heliotron devices.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5002797
• Journal Information: Fusion Technology; (United States), Vol. 19:2; ISSN 0748-1896
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
HELIOTRON
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
HIGH-BETA PLASMA
TRAPPED-PARTICLE INSTABILITY
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
CALCULATION METHODS
TORSATRON STELLARATORS
EQUILIBRIUM PLASMA
OPTIMIZATION
PLASMA DRIFT
QUADRUPOLAR CONFIGURATIONS
CLOSED CONFIGURATIONS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CONFINEMENT
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MECHANICS
MULTIPOLAR CONFIGURATIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
STELLARATORS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
700202* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Magnet Coils & Fields
700200 - Fusion Energy- Fusion Power Plant Technology
640430 - Fluid Physics- Magnetohydrodynamics
700107 - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Instabilities