Features of spherical torus plasmas

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6155386· OSTI ID:6155386

Peng, Y K.M.; Strickler, D J

The spherical torus is a very small aspect ratio (A < 2) confinement concept obtained by retaining only the indispensable components inboard to the plasma torus. MHD equilibrium calculations show that spherical torus plasmas with safety factor q > 2 are characterized by high toroidal beta (..beta../sub t/ > 0.2), low poloidal beta (..beta../sub p/ < 0.3), naturally large elongation (kappa greater than or equal to 2), large plasma current with I/sub p//(aB/sub t0/) up to about 7 MA/mT, strong paramagnetism (B/sub t//B/sub t0/ > 1.5), and strong plasma helicity (F comparable to THETA). A large near-omnigeneous region is seen at the large-major-radius, bad-curvature region of the plasma in comparison with the conventional tokamaks. These features combine to engender the spherical torus plasma in a unique physics regime which permits compact fusion at low field and modest cost. Because of its strong paramagnetism and helicity, the spherical torus plasma shares some of the desirable features of spheromak and reversed-field pinch (RFP) plasmas, but with tokamak-like confinement and safety factor q. The general class of spherical tori, which includes the spherical tokamak (q > 1), the spherical pinch (1 > q > O), and the spherical RFP (q < O), have magnetic field configurations unique in comparison with conventional tokamaks and RFPs. 22 refs., 12 figs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6155386
• Report Number(s): ORNL/FEDC-85/6; ON: DE86004642
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
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DESIGN
ASPECT RATIO
HELICITY
HIGH-BETA PLASMA
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PINCH EFFECT
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SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
THEORETICAL DATA
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