Effects of end cell ion cyclotron fluctuations on central-cell ion confinement in the tandem mirror experiment (TMX)

Conference · Mon Apr 07 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5508069

Grubb, D P; Casper, T A; Clauser, J F

The tandem mirror device (TMX) exhibits gross stability to both MHD and microinstability modes. The end-cell plasmas provide the tandem with average minimum-B stability, while the efflux of plasma from the central cell maintains the end cells (plugs) at marginal stability to loss cone modes. For some operating conditions, a residual level of plug ion cyclotron fluctuations is detected. These oscillations dominate the fluctuation frequency spectra in both the plugs and the central cell. The presence of plug ion cyclotron fluctuations in the central cell leads to resonance heating of some of the central cell ions. This heating degrades the confinement of the central cell ions; thereby increasing the amount of warm plasma stream flowing through the plugs.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5508069
• Report Number(s): UCRL-84236; CONF-800441-3
• Conference Information: International symposium on physics and open-ended fusion systems, Tsukuba, Japan, 15 Apr 1980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
CONFINEMENT
END EFFECTS
INSTABILITY
LOSS CONE INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
PLUGGING
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TMX DEVICES
WALL EFFECTS