THE INFLUENCE OF TRAPPED FIELD ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A MAGNETICALLY COMPRESSED PLASMA (THETATRON)

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1962 · Nucl. Fusion, Suppl.

OSTI ID:4731855

Bodin, H A.B.; Green, T S; Niblett, G B.F.; Peacock, N J; Quinn, J M.P.; Reynolds, J A

Recent results of an experimental investigation of deuterium plasma compressed by a rapidly rising magnetic field are presented and discussed. The discharge which occurred on the second half-cycle of a sinusoidal driving field without preionization was studied and it was found that in the pressure region 50 to 95 mu Hg the trapped flux of the initial pressure provided a simple way of varying the trapped flux. In this pressure range the characteristics of the discharge were observed to change markedly, and it is shown that the properties of the plasma are primarily determined by the trapped flux. Three types of discharge are analyzed in detail. The first type, trapping maximum parallel fiux, has a low BETA and a low temperature; it is well contained and emits neither neutrons nor soft x-rays aithough hard x-rays are observed. The second type traps much less parallel flux, has BETA between 0.2 and 0.8, emits no neutrons and only very small yieids of x-rays, and escapes rapidly. The third type traps maximum reversed flux, which is subsequently destroyed. The implosion velocity increases with pressure and the neutron and soft x-ray intensities peak sharply at the pressure at which the trapped reversed field energy and the total energy (field and particle) are a maximum. Soft x-ray measurements lead to an electron temperature between 180 and 400 ev, and totai energy measurements show that sufficient energy is available to raise the ions to a temperature of l kev. The plasma forms an unstable closed field loop configuration, contracts axially and remains contained away from the walls for about 2.5 mu s, after which it normally breaks up following a rapid rotation. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston, Berks, Eng.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-009732
• OSTI ID: 4731855
• Journal Information: Nucl. Fusion, Suppl., Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-63
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

PHYSICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONFIGURATION
CONFINEMENT
CONTROL
DEUTERIUM
DEUTERIUM COMPOUNDS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
ENERGY
HEATING
HYDROCARBONS
IONIZATION
IONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC COMPRESSION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MASS
MEASURED VALUES
MODERATORS
MOLECULES
NEUTRONS
PINCH
PLASMA
PREPARATION
PRESSURE
REFLECTORS
ROTATION
TEMPERATURE
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THETA PINCH
X RADIATION