Electron temperature measurements of field-reversed configuration plasmas on the FRX-C/LSM experiment

Technical Report · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5866713· OSTI ID:5866713

Rej, D J

A single-point Thomson scattering diagnostic is used to determine the electron temperature T/sub e/ of field-reversed-configuration (FRC) compact toroids generated in the /theta/-pinch source of the Los Alamos FRX-C/LSM experiment. Measurements are performed close to the axial midplane and near the magnetic and geometric axes. A broad range of plasma conditions is investigated and electron temperatures vary, on average, between 90 and 190 eV. For a given condition, T/sub e/ remains relatively constant during the 60 /mu/s measurement interval between formation and the onset of the n = 2 rotational instability. T/sub e/ increases with plasma diameter and external magnetic field, and decreases slightly with fill pressure. The temperature at the geometric axis is consistently 10--20% lower than that near the field null. The temperature is approximately 35% higher than observed previously on the smaller FRX-C device. The implications of these measurements on plasma confinement properties are discussed. 25 refs., 18 figs., 8 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5866713
• Report Number(s): LA-11622-MS; ON: DE89016187
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
700102* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Diagnostics
CONFINEMENT
CONFINEMENT TIME
FIELD-REVERSED MIRROR REACTORS
HEATING
INELASTIC SCATTERING
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA SIMULATION
SCATTERING
SIMULATION
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
THOMSON SCATTERING