Fivefold confinement time increase in the Madison Symmetric Torus using inductive poloidal current drive
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin---Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)
Current profile control is employed in the Madison Symmetric Torus [R. N. Dexter {ital et al.}, Fusion Technol. {bold 19}, 131 (1991)] reversed field pinch to reduce the magnetic fluctuations responsible for anomalous transport. An inductive poloidal electric-field pulse is applied in the sense to flatten the parallel current profile, reducing the dynamo fluctuation amplitude required to sustain the equilibrium. This technique demonstrates a substantial reduction in fluctuation amplitude (as much as 50{percent}), and improvement in energy confinement (from 1 to 5 ms); a record low fluctuation (0.8{percent}) and record high temperature (615 eV) for this device were observed simultaneously during current drive experiments. Plasma beta increases by 50{percent} and the Ohmic input power is three times lower. Particle confinement improves and plasma impurity contamination is reduced. The results of the transient current drive experiments provide motivation for continuing development of steady-state current profile control strategies for the reversed field pinch. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}
- OSTI ID:
- 561120
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961102-; ISSN 1070-664X; TRN: 98:000714
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 4, Issue 5; Conference: Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society, Denver, CO (United States), 11-15 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: May 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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