Mirror-ratio scaling of the axial plasma loss in collisional and collisionless regimes

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5233973

Lam, K L

The axial losses of strongly collisional ions and electrons of different degrees of collisionality are studied. The axial confinement time of a single-cell mirror is found to be proportional to the mirror ratio over the range of 12-74 when the ions are strongly collisional, i.e., the mean free path for Coulomb collisions is less than the length of the device. The reduction in total axial-loss current is shown to correspond to the reduction of the cross-sectional area of the plasma at the magnetic mirror as the mirror ratio is increased. The axial-loss current density is independent of the mirror ratio and is proportional to the product of plasma density and the acoustic speed. The axial-loss current density of collisional electrons is also independent of the mirror ratio. For collisionless electrons the axial-loss current density increases with the mirror ratio. This current density is proportional to density squared and, for low RF heating power, to T/sub e//sup -3/2, in good agreement with collisionless theory. Axial-loss current scaling deviates strongly from collisionless theory for a period immediately following the RF heating pulse. This period is longer for higher heating power

• Research Organization: California Univ., Los Angeles (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5233973
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
700103 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Kinetics
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
COLLISIONS
CURRENT DENSITY
ELECTRON LOSS
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ENERGY LOSSES
ION COLLISIONS
LOSSES
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MIRROR RATIO
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES