Formation and control of plasma potentials in TMX upgrade

Conference · Wed May 06 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6529639

Simonen, T C; Orzechowski, T J; Porkolab, M; Stallard, B W

The methods to be employed to form and control plasma potentials in the TMX Upgrade tandem mirror with thermal barriers are described. ECRH-generated mirror -confined electron plasmas are used to establish a negative potential region to isolate the end-plug and central-cell celectrons. This thermal isolation will allow a higher end-plug electron temperature and an increased central-cell confining potential. Improved axial central-cell ion confinement results since higher temperature central-cell ions can be confined. This paper describes: (1) calculations of the sensitivity of barrier formation to vacuum conditions and to the presence of impurities in the neutral beams, (2) calculations of microwave penetration and absorption used to design the ECRH system, and (3) techniques to limit electron runaway to high energies by localized microwave beams and by relativistic detuning.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6529639
• Report Number(s): UCRL-85827; CONF-810511-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700200* -- Fusion Energy-- Fusion Power Plant Technology
BEAM INJECTION
ECR HEATING
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
IMPURITIES
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
NEUTRAL ATOM BEAM INJECTION
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA HEATING
RUNAWAY ELECTRONS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TMX DEVICES