Alternative description of the reversed-field toroidal plasma pinch, and prediction of the critical pinch parameter

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Hadronic J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5289113

Salingaros, N A

It is argued that a minimum-energy magnetic field configuration occurs for axisymmetric toroidal and axisymmetric poloidal fields, separately. Superposition of these is proposed as an alternate model for the relaxed-state magnetic field inside the toroidal pinch. Plasma stability is identified with energy equipartition between orthogonal minimum-energy modes. A derivation of the critical pinch parameter which circumvents the Woltjer theorem gives the result theta/sub 0/approx. =1.41, in excellent agreement with experiment. An explanation of field reversal when theta>theta/sub 0/ follows naturally from the intrinsic diamagnetism of the plasma. The model proposed here is critically compared with the Taylor model, and the role of the magnetic helicity is discussed.

• Research Organization: Division of Mathematics, The University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas 78285
• OSTI ID: 5289113
• Journal Information: Hadronic J.; (United States), Journal Name: Hadronic J.; (United States) Vol. 10:3; ISSN HAJOD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700202 -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Magnet Coils & Fields
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
AXIAL SYMMETRY
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ENERGY DEPENDENCE
EQUATIONS
HELICITY
LIMITING VALUES
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PINCH DEVICES
PINCH EFFECT
REVERSE-FIELD PINCH
SYMMETRY
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOROIDAL PINCH DEVICES