Equilibrium, stability, and deeply trapped energetic particle confinement calculations for I = 2 torsatron/heliotron configurations

Journal Article · Thu Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1991 · Fusion Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5002797

Nakamura, Y; Wakatani, M ^[1]; Leboeuf, J N; Carreras, B A; Dominguez, N; Holmes, J A; Lynch, V E; Painter, S L ^[2]; Garcia, L ^[3]

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1. Kyoto Univ., Plasma Physics Lab., Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto (JP)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., Oak Ridge, TN (US)
3. Univ. Complutense and Asociacion EURATOM/CIEMAT, 28040 Madrid (ES)

This paper studies confinement properties of 1 = 2 torsatron/heliotron configurations with number of toroidal field periods, M, in the range of 10 to 14. This involves the calculation of zero-current and flux-conserving equilibria; stability against Mercier modes and low-n ideal modes, with n denoting the toroidal mode number; and orbit confinement of deeply trapped energetic particles. Optimization of both magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and transport properties is pursued under the condition of plasma aspect ratio A = R/a {ge} 7, with R denoting the major radius and a the average plasma radius. For configurations with M, {le} 12, an average MHD beta limit of 4 to 5% is possible. The addition of a quadrupole field improves the confinement of trapped particles at zero pressure, but particle losses increase with increasing beta. This loss is less severe if the vacuum magnetic axis is shifted slightly inward. A configuration with M = 10, a coil pitch parameter p{sub c} in the range 1.25 to 1.30, and an added quadrupole field satisfies the beta and energetic particle confinement requirements for the next generation of large torsatron/heliotron devices.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5002797
• Journal Information: Fusion Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Fusion Technology; (United States) Vol. 19:2; ISSN 0748-1896; ISSN FUSTE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640430 -- Fluid Physics-- Magnetohydrodynamics
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75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CALCULATION METHODS
CLOSED CONFIGURATIONS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CONFINEMENT
EQUILIBRIUM PLASMA
FLUID MECHANICS
HELIOTRON
HIGH-BETA PLASMA
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
MULTIPOLAR CONFIGURATIONS
OPTIMIZATION
PLASMA
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
QUADRUPOLAR CONFIGURATIONS
STELLARATORS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TORSATRON STELLARATORS
TRAPPED-PARTICLE INSTABILITY