Core magnetic islands and plasma confinement in the H-1NF heliac

Journal Article · Sun Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3474946· OSTI ID:21432222

Kumar, Santhosh T. A.; Blackwell, Boyd D; Howard, John; Harris, Jeffrey H ^[1]

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1. Plasma Research Laboratory, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia)

Plasma confinement in the vicinity of vacuum magnetic islands near the magnetic axis in the H-1NF heliac [S. M. Hamberger et al., Fusion Technol. 17, 123 (1990)] has been experimentally studied in a low temperature argon plasma. Experimental results indicate that, under favorable conditions, these low order (m=2) islands near the core of the plasma serve as 'pockets' of higher electron density. This results in significant profile modifications including enhancement of the core radial electric field to a large positive value, possibly through an electron-root ambipolar condition. The characteristics of islands are found to be dependent on the plasma collisionality and island width.

• OSTI ID: 21432222
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3474946; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ARGON
H-1 HELIAC
MAGNETIC CORES
MAGNETIC ISLANDS
PLASMA
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CONFINEMENT
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIAC STELLARATORS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICES
MEMORY DEVICES
NONMETALS
RARE GASES
STELLARATORS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES