High performance deuterium-tritium plasmas in TFTR
- Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States). Dept. of Applied Physics
- Fusion Physics and Technology, Torrance, CA (United States)
- Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Plasma Physics Lab.; and others
Plasmas composed of nominally equal concentrations of deuterium and tritium (DT) have been created in TFTR with the goals of producing significant levels of fusion power and of examining the effects of DT fusion alpha particles. Conditioning of the limiter by the injection of lithium pellets has led to an approximate doubling of the energy confinement time, {tau}{sub E}, in supershot plasmas at high plasma current (I{sub p} {le} 2.5 MA) and high heating power (P{sub b} {le} 33 MW). Operation with DT typically results in an additional 20% increase in {tau}{sub E}. In the high poloidal beta, advanced tokamak regime in TFTR, confinement enhancement H {triple_bond} {tau}{sub E}/{tau}{sub E ITER-89P} > 4 has been obtained in a limiter H-mode configuration at moderate plasma current I{sub p} = 0.85 {minus} 1.5 MA. By peaking the plasma current profile, {beta}{sub N dia} {triple_bond} 10{sup 8} < {beta}{sub t{perpendicular}} > aB{sub 0}/I{sub p} = 3 has been obtained in these plasmas, exceeding the {beta}{sub N} limit for TFTR plasmas with lower internal inductance, l{sub i}. Confinement of alpha particles appears to be classical and losses due to collective effects have not been observed. While small fluctuations in fusion product loss were observed during ELMs, no large loss was detected in DT plasmas.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Plasma Physics Lab.; Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States). Dept. of Applied Physics; Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03073; FG02-89ER53297; FG02-90ER54084
- OSTI ID:
- 34438
- Report Number(s):
- PPPL--3080; CONF-9408189--5; ON: DE95009400
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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