Observation of ballooning modes in high-temperature tokamak plasmas

Journal Article · Mon Oct 19 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.69.2376· OSTI ID:7192708

Nagayama, Y; Sabbagh, S A; Manickam, J; Fredrickson, E D; Bell, M; Budny, R V; Cavallo, A; Janos, A C; Mauel, M E; McGuire, K M; Navratil, G A; Taylor, G; Yamada, M ^[1]

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1. Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, P.O. Box 451, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

The beta-degradation phase of a high-{beta}{sub {ital p}} plasma in the TFTR tokamak is analyzed with x-ray and electron cyclotron emission imaging techniques. Medium-{ital n} (toroidal mode number) instabilities with ballooning characteristics are observed near and within the {ital q}=1.5 surface during a slow degradation in the plasma {beta} and precede a sudden partial collapse in the central plasma pressure. This is the first reported observation of a ballooning instability in the interior of a large, collisionless tokamak plasma.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073; FG02-89ER53297
• OSTI ID: 7192708
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 69:16; ISSN PRLTA; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700320 -- Plasma Diagnostic Techniques & Instrumentation-- (1992-)
700340* -- Plasma Waves
Oscillations
& Instabilities-- (1992-)
BALLOONING INSTABILITY
BETA RATIO
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
CYCLOTRON RADIATION
DATA
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EMISSION SPECTRA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HIGH-BETA PLASMA
HOT PLASMA
IMAGES
INFORMATION
INSTABILITY
NUMERICAL DATA
PLASMA
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
TFTR TOKAMAK
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TIME DEPENDENCE
TOKAMAK DEVICES
X-RAY SPECTRA