SMALL-SCALE INSTABILITIES OF THE PINCH AND A SUGGESTED REMEDY--THE LEVITRON

Technical Report · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1958

OSTI ID:4130372

Colgate, S A; Furth, H P

Experimental results on the classical stabilized pinch are reviewed. The main obstacle to further progress is shown to be small-scale turbulence of the plasma. This turbulence may either be hydromagnetic or induced by run-away electron streams. Whether or not hydromagnetic effects are important can be determined by means of a configuration having a high degree of hydromagnetic stability, the inverse stabilized pinch. In this configuration there is a rigid center conductor or "hard core," then, going radially outward, a region of B/sub theta / a cylindrical surface current concentric with the hard core, a region of B/sub z/, and finally a conducting outer shell. More general configurations are also of interest, and their stability against both bulk and surface perturbations is considered. Toroidal hard core pinches can be made in the Levitron, a toroidal pinch tube inside which a rigid toroidal conductor is levitated by means of an induced magnetic field. The usefulness of the Levitron in a Stellarator type operation is discussed. Some practical details of the levitation process are given. An alternative scheme is considered where the toroidal core is suspended from current-carrying wires. but this approach does not appear promising. In a reactor of the Levitron type, special problems arise, such as the cooling of the hard core, but no basic new obstacles are expected. (auth)

• Research Organization: California. Univ., Livermore. Lawrence Radiation Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• NSA Number: NSA-14-026334
• OSTI ID: 4130372
• Report Number(s): UCRL-5392
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CONFIGURATION
COOLING
CURRENTS
CYLINDERS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY
HARD CORE PINCH
INDUCTION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PHYSICS
PINCH
PLASMA
STABILITY
STELLARATORS
SURFACES
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TORUS
TUBES
TURBULENCE
WIRES