Plasma stabilization experiment. Final report, 1 October 1979-30 April 1980
The Plasma Stabilization Experiment is an effort to enhance stability in a mirror-confined plasma by trapping cold ions with rf fields applied near the mirror throats. Nagoya Type III antennas, coupled to a 60 kW rf power supply are mounted in the throats of the UTRC baseball magnet. An external washer gun provides a source of plasma for both streaming and confined plasma tests. Results show a strong stoppering effect on streaming plasmas and a marginal effect on confined plasmas. Theoretical calculations provide an explanation for the experimental observations. The field generates a ponderomotive force acting on the electrons. The resultant improvement in electron confinement changes the ambipolar potential and inhibits the flow of ions through the mirror throat. Criteria are derived for the validity of this trapping concept. The requisite field strengths are significantly lower than those required to trap ions directly. Scaling laws are developed for application of cold ion trapping to large mirror devices containing dense plasmas. The use of slow-wave antenna structures operated at frequencies above the lower hybrid frequency is recommended for these applications.
- Research Organization:
- United Technologies Research Center, East Hartford, CT (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-79ET53087
- OSTI ID:
- 7183271
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET/53087-2; UTRC-R-80-954876-1; TRN: 80-018430
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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