Theory and application of maximum magnetic energy in toroidal plasmas

Technical Report · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5690004· OSTI ID:5690004

Chu, T K

The magnetic energy in an inductively driven steady-state toroidal plasma is a maximum for a given rate of dissipation of energy (Poynting flux). A purely resistive steady state of the piecewise force-free configuration, however, cannot exist, as the periodic removal of the excess poloidal flux and pressure, due to heating, ruptures the static equilibrium of the partitioning rational surfaces intermittently. The rupture necessitates a plasma with a negative q{prime}/q (as in reverse field pinches and spheromaks) to have the same {alpha} in all its force-free regions and with a positive q{prime}/q (as in tokamaks) to have centrally peaked {alpha}'s.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 5690004
• Report Number(s): PPPL-2822; ON: DE92008506
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
ENERGY
TOROIDAL CONFIGURATION
H-MODE PLASMA CONFINEMENT
POYNTING THEOREM
SAWTOOTH OSCILLATIONS
ANNULAR SPACE
CLOSED CONFIGURATIONS
CONFIGURATION
CONFINEMENT
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
OSCILLATIONS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
SPACE
700310* - Plasma Confinement- (1992-)