A view on advances in spheromak understanding and parameters

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6503604

Fernandez, J C; Chrien, R E; Wysocki, F J; Mayo, R M; Henins, I

A spheromak is a toroidally-shaped magnetized plasma configuration in which no material (such as coils or vacuum vessels) links the torus, so that the topology of the spheromak boundary is spherical. In the period since the properties of a nearly force-free ({Delta} {times} {rvec B} {approx} {lambda}{rvec B}) spheromak configuration were described using single-fluid MHD theory, and since the first spheromak was formed at the Univ. of Maryland, remarkable theoretical and experimental advances have been made. This paper highlights some of that work. Some of the latest results from the CTX group at Los Alamos are also presented. These include the observation of suprathermal electrons in CTX, evidence by X-ray bursts with photon energies above 1 MeV.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6503604
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-90-3542; CONF-9010209--3; ON: DE91001954
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
700200 -- Fusion Energy-- Fusion Power Plant Technology
BETA RATIO
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CONFINEMENT
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA GUNS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA PRODUCTION
SPHEROMAK DEVICES
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES