Effect of toroidal magnetic field on n = 1 mode stability in rotamak plasmas

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3622658· OSTI ID:22043375

Yang, X; Goss, J; Kalaria, D; Huang, T S ^[1]

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1. Plasma Physics Lab, Prairie View A and M University, Prairie View, Texas 77446 (United States)

To study the effect of toroidal magnetic field on n = 1 mode stability, a series of experiments with linearly ramping the axial current I{sub z}, which makes field-reversed configuration (FRC) to spherical tokamak (ST) transition, have been conducted in rotamak. Results clearly demonstrate that the tilt mode can be completely suppressed by small I{sub z} around 0.4 kA (in comparison with 2.0 kA plasma current). An unknown new mode with larger magnetic perturbations is triggered when I{sub z} reaches 0.5 kA. This instability mode keeps saturation while plasma current is boosted when I{sub z} is in the range of 0.6-1.4 kA. When I{sub z} exceeds 1.6 kA, the new mode suddenly disappears and discharge is free from instability modes.

• OSTI ID: 22043375
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 18; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DISTURBANCES
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
FIELD-REVERSED THETA PINCH DEVICES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PERTURBATION THEORY
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
ROTAMAK DEVICES
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
STABILITY
TOKAMAK DEVICES