Driven plasma rotation in the Compact Auburn Torsatron
- Department of Physics, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849 (United States)
Poloidal plasma rotation has been driven in the Compact Auburn Torsatron (CAT) [R. F. Gandy {ital et al.}, Fusion Technol. {bold 18}, 281 (1990)]. In these studies, a biased electrode is used to establish the rotation. Currents of up to 1 A are injected into hydrogen, helium, and argon plasmas from a biased electrode placed inside of the last closed magnetic flux surface of the CAT device. The response of the plasma to the injected current is measured with Langmuir, Mach, and emissive probes. Poloidal plasma velocities of up to 10 km/s in hydrogen plasmas are measured by the Mach probe. The plasma density and electron temperature increased during the driven rotation, and there are indications of improved particle confinement. The experimental measurements show generally good agreement with a model of plasma rotation by Coronado and Talmadge. Experiments also show that the sign of the injected current (i.e., the direction of the radial electric field) has a significant impact on the effect of the driven rotation. A reduction in the particle transport is observed only for radially inward electric fields. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}
- OSTI ID:
- 298625
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 5, Issue 11; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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