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Studies of a poloidal divertor reversed field pinch

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6966440
An attempt has been made to form a reversed field pinch (RFP) in a poloidal divertor configuration which position the plasma far from a conducting wall. In this configuration, the plasma is localized within a magnetic separatrix formed by the combination of toroidal currents in the plasma and four internal aluminum rings. Plasmas were formed with plasma current /approximately/135 kA, toroidal field reversal lasting /approximately/1 msec, line-averaged density /approximately/1--2 /times/ 10/sup 13/ cm/sup /minus/3/ and central electron temperature /approximately/55 eV, but a large asymmetry in the magnetic field (deltaB/B /approximately/40%) onset at about the time the toroidal field reversed at the wall. Symmetric, poloidal divertor RFP equilibria were not formed. This behavior might be expected based on linear MHD stability analysis of a cylindrical plasma bounded by a large vacuum region and distant conducting wall. The symmetric equilibrium before the asymmetry develops and the asymmetry itself are described. 15 refs., 3 figs.
Research Organization:
Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA). Dept. of Physics
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-85ER53198
OSTI ID:
6966440
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/53198-125; ON: DE88015027
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English