Relaxation of toroidal discharges

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5726031

Turner, L

The variational principle of Taylor provides the guiding spirit for calculations concerning the relaxation of turbulent plasma discharges. The principle states that a turbulent, high-magnetic-Reynolds-number plasma confined by a perfectly conducting shell will achieve the state of minimum magnetic energy consistent with specified magnetic helicity and magnetic flux. It yields the Euler equation vector V x vector B = lambda vector B where, for reversed-field pinch geometries, the eigenvalue lambda is a continuous variable that specifies the ratio of net toroidal current to net toroidal magnetic flux. Although this principle has not as yet received rigorous justification, it has been able to reproduce much of the gross experimental features of the British reversed-field pinch experiment ZETA. Some observations are described. (MOW)

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5726031
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-79-3397; CONF-791225-3; TRN: 80-004289
• Resource Relation: Conference: Symposium on compact toruses and energetic particle injection, Princeton, NJ, USA, 11 Dec 1979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
REVERSE-FIELD PINCH
RELAXATION
TOROIDAL PINCH DEVICES
EIGENVALUES
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
TURBULENCE
VARIATIONAL METHODS
ZETA DEVICES
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
PINCH DEVICES
PINCH EFFECT
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TLP DEVICES
700105* - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Plasma Kinetics-Theoretical- (-1987)