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Title: Axisymmetric Tandem Mirrors: Stabilization and Confinement Studies

Abstract

The 'Kinetic Stabilizer' has been proposed as a means of MHD stabilizing an axisymmetric tandem mirror system. The K-S concept is based on theoretical studies by Ryutov, confirmed experimentally in the Gas Dynamic Trap experiment in Novosibirsk. In the K-S beams of ions are directed into the end of an 'expander' region outside the outer mirror of a tandem mirror. These ions, slowed, stagnated, and reflected as they move up the magnetic gradient, produce a low-density stabilizing plasma. At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory we have been conducting theoretical and computational studies of the K-S Tandem Mirror. These studies have employed a low-beta code written especially to analyze the beam injection/stabilization process, and a new code SYMTRAN (by Hua and Fowler) that solves the coupled radial and axial particle and energy transport in a K-S TM. Also, a 'legacy' MHD stability code, FLORA, has been upgraded and employed to benchmark the injection/stabilization code and to extend its results to high beta values. The FLORA code studies so far have confirmed the effectiveness of the K-S in stabilizing high-beta (40%) plasmas with stabilizer plasmas the peak pressures of which are several orders of magnitude smaller than those of the confined plasma.more » Also the SYMTRAN code has shown D-T plasma ignition from alpha particle energy deposition in T-M regimes with strong end plugging. Our studies have confirmed the viability of the K-S-T-M concept with respect to MHD stability and radial and axial confinement. We are continuing these studies in order to optimize the parameters and to examine means for the stabilization of possible residual instability modes, such as drift modes and 'trapped-particle' modes. These modes may in principle be controlled by tailoring the stabilizer plasma distribution and/or the radial potential distribution. In the paper the results to date of our studies are summarized and projected to scope out possible fusion-power versions of the K-S T-M« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
15014491
Report Number(s):
UCRL-CONF-205283
Journal ID: ISSN 1536-1055; TRN: US0802584
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Journal Volume: 47; Journal Issue: 1T; Conference: Presented at: Open Magnetic Systems for Plasma Confinement, Novosibirsk, Russia, Jul 05 - Jul 09, 2004
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; ALPHA PARTICLES; CONFINEMENT; LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY; MIRRORS; PLASMA; PLASMA CONFINEMENT; STABILIZATION; TANDEM MIRRORS

Citation Formats

Post, R F, Fowler, T K, Bulmer, R, Byers, J, Hua, D, and Tung, L. Axisymmetric Tandem Mirrors: Stabilization and Confinement Studies. United States: N. p., 2004. Web. doi:10.13182/FST05-A607.
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Post, R F, Fowler, T K, Bulmer, R, Byers, J, Hua, D, & Tung, L. Axisymmetric Tandem Mirrors: Stabilization and Confinement Studies. United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A607
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Post, R F, Fowler, T K, Bulmer, R, Byers, J, Hua, D, and Tung, L. Thu . "Axisymmetric Tandem Mirrors: Stabilization and Confinement Studies". United States. https://doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A607. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/15014491.
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@article{osti_15014491,
title = {Axisymmetric Tandem Mirrors: Stabilization and Confinement Studies},
author = {Post, R F and Fowler, T K and Bulmer, R and Byers, J and Hua, D and Tung, L},
abstractNote = {The 'Kinetic Stabilizer' has been proposed as a means of MHD stabilizing an axisymmetric tandem mirror system. The K-S concept is based on theoretical studies by Ryutov, confirmed experimentally in the Gas Dynamic Trap experiment in Novosibirsk. In the K-S beams of ions are directed into the end of an 'expander' region outside the outer mirror of a tandem mirror. These ions, slowed, stagnated, and reflected as they move up the magnetic gradient, produce a low-density stabilizing plasma. At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory we have been conducting theoretical and computational studies of the K-S Tandem Mirror. These studies have employed a low-beta code written especially to analyze the beam injection/stabilization process, and a new code SYMTRAN (by Hua and Fowler) that solves the coupled radial and axial particle and energy transport in a K-S TM. Also, a 'legacy' MHD stability code, FLORA, has been upgraded and employed to benchmark the injection/stabilization code and to extend its results to high beta values. The FLORA code studies so far have confirmed the effectiveness of the K-S in stabilizing high-beta (40%) plasmas with stabilizer plasmas the peak pressures of which are several orders of magnitude smaller than those of the confined plasma. Also the SYMTRAN code has shown D-T plasma ignition from alpha particle energy deposition in T-M regimes with strong end plugging. Our studies have confirmed the viability of the K-S-T-M concept with respect to MHD stability and radial and axial confinement. We are continuing these studies in order to optimize the parameters and to examine means for the stabilization of possible residual instability modes, such as drift modes and 'trapped-particle' modes. These modes may in principle be controlled by tailoring the stabilizer plasma distribution and/or the radial potential distribution. In the paper the results to date of our studies are summarized and projected to scope out possible fusion-power versions of the K-S T-M},
doi = {10.13182/FST05-A607},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15014491}, journal = {},
issn = {1536-1055},
number = 1T,
volume = 47,
place = {United States},
year = {2004},
month = {7}
}
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https://doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A607
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Works referenced in this record:

The “Kinetic Stabilizer”: A Simpler Tandem Mirror Configuration?
journal, January 2001

GDT Device. Recent Results and Future Plans for GDT Upgrade
journal, January 2003

Mirror-Based Fusion: Some Possible New Directions
journal, January 1999

Interchange, rotational, and ballooning stability of long-thin axisymmetric systems with finite-orbit effects
journal, January 1986

Drift-tearing modes in a tokamak plasma
journal, August 1978

The Kinetic Stabilizer: Further Calculations and Options
journal, January 2003

The kinetic stabilizer: Issues and opportunities
journal, September 2002

Time-dependent tandem mirror confinement studies
journal, October 1979

Electrostatic Plasma-Confinement Experiments in a Tandem Mirror System
journal, April 1980

Radial transport calculations for tandem mirrors
journal, June 1983

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