Gas pressure measurements and control in the Tara tandem mirror experiment

Conference · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:6766539

Post, R S; Brau, K; Casey, J; Coleman, J; Golovato, S; Guss, W; Horne, S; Irby, J; Kesner, J; Lane, B

The Tara Tandem Mirror has a 10 m long, 22 cm diameter central cell plasma heated by fundamental ion cyclotron heating. Typical central cell parameters in unplugged operation are n = 3 x 10/sup 12//cm/sup 3/. T/sub i perpendicular/ = 300 eV, T/sub i parallel/ approx. = 75 eV. The axisymmetric plug cell incorporates sloshing ions and ECH to generate axial confining potentials. The axisymmetric central cell and plug comprise a max-B mirror which is observed to operate in both flute stable and unstable regimes. The flute instability is m = 1 and can be stabilized by an outboard anchor. The anchor plasma is formed by electron and ion cyclotron heating. Satisfactory operation of a tandem mirror requires extensive control of neutral gas from neutral beam (NB) sources and startup. Tara makes extensive use of Ti gettering in the beamlines, beam dumps and plasma surfaces for both hydrogen pumping and reflux control. A description of this technology along with its impact on plasma performance is discussed.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Plasma Fusion Center
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-78ET51013
• OSTI ID: 6766539
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/51013-202; PFC/CP-86-17; CONF-860582-3; ON: DE87005998
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700103* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Kinetics
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CONTROL
ECR HEATING
ELEMENTS
GETTERING
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
ICR HEATING
LAYERS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
METALS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA SCRAPE-OFF LAYER
TANDEM MIRRORS
TARA DEVICES
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TITANIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS