skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Stabilization of the resistive wall mode in DIII–D by plasma rotation and magnetic feedback

Journal Article · · Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion

Suppression of the resistive wall mode (RWM) has been successfully demonstrated in the DIII-D tokamak by using rotational stabilization in conjunction with a close-fitting vacuum vessel wall. The duration of the high-pressure discharge was extended to hundreds of times the wall skin time. Frequently, the plasma pressure reached the ideal-wall magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) kink limit. The confined pressure is up to twice as high as the no-wall ideal MHD kink limit. Near its marginal stability point, the RWM is found to resonate with residual non-axisymmetric fields (e.g. components of the error field). A magnetic feedback system has been used to identify and compensate for the residual non-axisymmetric fields. Lastly, this is to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of the sustainment of a stable plasma with pressure at levels well above the no-wall pressure limit. This technique is expected to be applicable to other toroidal devices.

Research Organization:
General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Contributing Organization:
the DIII–D Team
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH03073; AC03-99ER54463; EE-FG02-89ER53297
OSTI ID:
821573
Journal Information:
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 44, Issue 12B; ISSN 0741-3335
Publisher:
IOP Science
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English