2XIIB plasma confinement experiments

Conference · Fri Aug 06 00:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7346590

Coensgen, F H; Clauser, J F; Correll, D L

This paper reports results of 2XIIB neutral-beam injection experiments with plasma-stream stabilization. The plasma stream is provided either by a pulsed plasma generator located on the field lines outside the plasma region or by ionization of neutral gas introduced at the mirror throat. In the latter case, the gas is ionized by the normal particle flux through the magnetic mirror. A method of plasma startup and sustenance in a steady-state magnetic field is reported in which the plasma stream from the pulsed plasma generator serves as the initial target for the neutral beams. After an energetic plasma of sufficient density is established, the plasma generator stream is replaced by the gas-fed stream. Lifetimes of the stabilized plasma increase with plasma temperature in agreement with the plasma stabilization of the drift-cyclotron loss-cone mode. The following plasma parameters are attained using the pulsed plasma generator for stabilization: n approximately 5 x 10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/, anti W/sub i/ approximately 13 keV, T/sub e/ = 140 eV, and ntau/sub p/ approximately 7 x 10/sup 10/ cm/sup -3/.s. With the gas feed, the mean deuterium ion energy is 9 keV and the peak density n approximately 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/. In the latter case, the energy confinement parameter reaches ntau/sub E/ = 7 x 10/sup 10/ cm/sup -3/.s, and the particle confinement parameter reaches ntau/sub p/ = 1 x 10/sup 11/ cm/sup -3/.s.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 7346590
• Report Number(s): UCRL-78121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

2X DEVICES
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
BEAM INJECTION
CONFINEMENT
DRIFT INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY
IONIZATION
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
NEUTRAL ATOM BEAM INJECTION
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MICROINSTABILITIES
STABILIZATION
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES