EFFECTS OF ADDED HEXAPOLE MAGNETIC FIELDS AND PREIONIZATION IN THETA PINCH EXPERIMENTS

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963 · Physics of Fluids (U.S.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1706828· OSTI ID:4701785

Little, E M; Quinn, W E

A hexapole magnetic field was superimposed on the fast magnetic mirror compression field of the Scylla III theta pinch in an attempt to stabilize an observed plasma instability. The instability is of the flute type with a superimposed rotation. The effect of the hexapole field on the plasma stability was studied with streak camera photography and through observation of the neutron emissions. Under certain conditions the hexapole stabilizing field has an observable effect on the instability. Its main effect is to symmetrize the rotation about the axis of the compression coil and to produce a delay in the onset of the instability. There is at most a small effect tending to symmetrize the time distribution of neutron emission and to increase the neutron yield. An ionized deuterium plasma is produced by a fast, low energy capacitor bank coupled directly to the single-turn compression coil of the Scylla III device. The afterglow of this preionization discharge, uniformly per meated by a magnetic bias field B/sub 0/, forms the initial condition for the application of the main magnetic compression field. The effect of the main compression field on the preionized plasma depends strongly on the B/sub 0/ that exists in the plasma. (auth)

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-17-026712
• OSTI ID: 4701785
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids (U.S.), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 6; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CAMERAS
CAPACITORS
COILS
DENSITY
DEUTERIUM
DISTRIBUTION
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
EMISSION
ENERGY
FLUTE INSTABILITY
GASES
INSTRUMENTS
IONIZATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MEASURED VALUES
NEUTRONS
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHYSICS
PINCH
PLASMA
ROTATION
SCHLIEREN
SCYLLA
SCYLLA 3
SHOCK WAVES
STABILITY
STORAGE
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THETA PINCH
VARIATIONS