Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch

Weber, T. E.; Intrator, T. P.; Smith, R. J.

doi:10.1063/1.4919262

Title: Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch

Abstract

We show through injection of plasma via an annular array of coaxial plasma guns, during the pre-ionization phase of field-reversed configuration (FRC) formation how to catalyze the bulk ionization of a neutral gas prefill in the presence of a strong axial magnetic field and change the character of outward flux flow during field-reversal from a convective process to a much slower resistive diffusion process. Our approach has been found to significantly improve FRC formation in a conical θ-pinch, resulting in a ~350% increase in trapped flux at typical operating conditions, an expansion of accessible formation parameter space to lower densities and higher temperatures, and a reduction or elimination of several deleterious effects associated with the pre-ionization phase.

Authors:

Weber, T. E. ^[1]; Intrator, T. P. ^[1]; Smith, R. J. ^[2]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)

OSTI Identifier:: 1291216

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1228234

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-15-21805
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X; PHPAEN

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25369

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Physics of Plasmas

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats


                    Weber, T. E., Intrator, T. P., and Smith, R. J. Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
Web.  doi:10.1063/1.4919262.

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                    Weber, T. E., Intrator, T. P., & Smith, R. J. Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4919262

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                    Weber, T. E., Intrator, T. P., and Smith, R. J. Wed .  
"Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4919262.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1291216.

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@article{osti_1291216,

  title        = {Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch},

  author       = {Weber, T. E. and Intrator, T. P. and Smith, R. J.},

  abstractNote = {We show through injection of plasma via an annular array of coaxial plasma guns, during the pre-ionization phase of field-reversed configuration (FRC) formation how to catalyze the bulk ionization of a neutral gas prefill in the presence of a strong axial magnetic field and change the character of outward flux flow during field-reversal from a convective process to a much slower resistive diffusion process. Our approach has been found to significantly improve FRC formation in a conical θ-pinch, resulting in a ~350% increase in trapped flux at typical operating conditions, an expansion of accessible formation parameter space to lower densities and higher temperatures, and a reduction or elimination of several deleterious effects associated with the pre-ionization phase.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.4919262},

  journal      = {Physics of Plasmas},

  number       = 4,

  volume       = 22,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Wed Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

Copy to clipboard

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Ultra-high-bandwidth polarization interferometry and optimal quadratic phase detection
journal, August 2019

Weber, T. E.; Smith, R. J.
Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 90, Issue 8
DOI: 10.1063/1.5091569

A 3D dynamic model to assess the impacts of low-mode asymmetry, aneurysms and mix-induced radiative loss on capsule performance across inertial confinement fusion platforms
journal, December 2018

Springer, P. T.; Hurricane, O. A.; Hammer, J. H.
Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 59, Issue 3
DOI: 10.1088/1741-4326/aaed65

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Title: Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch

Abstract

Citation Formats

Field reversed configurations journal, November 1988

Review of field-reversed configurations journal, July 2011

Experimental studies of field-reversed configuration translation journal, January 1986

Adiabatic model and design of a translating field reversed configuration journal, January 2008

The theory of ionization of gases by collision book, January 1910

Recent magneto-inertial fusion experiments on the field reversed configuration heating experiment journal, August 2013

Flux and magnetized plasma compression driven by Shiva Star conference, October 2012

FRC lifetime studies for the Field Reversed Configuration Heating experiment conference, June 2011

Fundamentals of collisionless shocks for astrophysical application, 1. Non-relativistic shocks journal, September 2009

FRX-L: A field-reversed configuration plasma injector for magnetized target fusion journal, October 2003

A High-Density Field Reversed Configuration Plasma for Magnetized Target Fusion journal, February 2004

The fundamental parameter space of controlled thermonuclear fusion journal, May 2009

Initial results from the Coaxial Slow Source FRC device journal, September 1987

Diffusion of Antiparallel Bias Magnetic Field during the Initial Stages of a Theta-Pinch journal, January 1966

Flux-trapping during the formation of field-reversed configurations journal, January 1982

Magnetic flux trapping during field reversal in the formation of a field-reversed configuration journal, January 1985

Plasma heating in field-reversed theta pinches journal, January 1983

Physics Basis and Progress for a Translating FRC for MTF journal, July 2007

Toroidal field generation and magnetic field relaxation in a conical‐theta‐pinch‐generated configuration journal, March 1990

Toroidal magnetic field generation during compact toroid formation in a field-reversed theta pinch and a conical theta pinch journal, January 1986

ϑ‐pinch ionization for field‐reversed configuration formation journal, May 1981

On the delayed gas breakdown in a ringing theta-pinch with bias magnetic field journal, May 2012

High-density field-reversed configuration plasma for magnetized target fusion journal, April 2006

Field-reversed experiments (FRX) on compact toroids journal, January 1981

A compact fast ionization gauge for in situ measurement of high-density neutral flow dynamics journal, April 2014

Effects of background neutral particles on a field-reversed configuration plasma in the translation process journal, August 2008

Addressing Short Trapped-Flux Lifetime in High-Density Field-Reversed Configuration Plasmas in FRCHX journal, May 2014

The electrodeless Lorentz force (ELF) thruster experimental facility journal, November 2012

The Plasma Liner Compression Experiment journal, September 2010

Flux and particle life-time measurements in field-reversed configurations journal, December 1984

Flux, energy, and particle lifetime measurements for well formed field reversed configurations journal, December 1986

Nonperturbative measurement of the local magnetic field using pulsed polarimetry for fusion reactor conditions (invited) journal, October 2008

Flux ropes and 3D dynamics in the relaxation scaling experiment journal, November 2013

Flux rope dynamics in three dimensions journal, August 2014

Introduction to Plasma Physics book, January 1995

Ultra-high-bandwidth polarization interferometry and optimal quadratic phase detection journal, August 2019

A 3D dynamic model to assess the impacts of low-mode asymmetry, aneurysms and mix-induced radiative loss on capsule performance across inertial confinement fusion platforms journal, December 2018

Field reversed configurations
journal, November 1988

Review of field-reversed configurations
journal, July 2011

Experimental studies of field-reversed configuration translation
journal, January 1986

Adiabatic model and design of a translating field reversed configuration
journal, January 2008

The theory of ionization of gases by collision
book, January 1910

Recent magneto-inertial fusion experiments on the field reversed configuration heating experiment
journal, August 2013

Flux and magnetized plasma compression driven by Shiva Star
conference, October 2012

FRC lifetime studies for the Field Reversed Configuration Heating experiment
conference, June 2011

Fundamentals of collisionless shocks for astrophysical application, 1. Non-relativistic shocks
journal, September 2009

FRX-L: A field-reversed configuration plasma injector for magnetized target fusion
journal, October 2003

A High-Density Field Reversed Configuration Plasma for Magnetized Target Fusion
journal, February 2004

The fundamental parameter space of controlled thermonuclear fusion
journal, May 2009

Initial results from the Coaxial Slow Source FRC device
journal, September 1987

Diffusion of Antiparallel Bias Magnetic Field during the Initial Stages of a Theta-Pinch
journal, January 1966

Flux-trapping during the formation of field-reversed configurations
journal, January 1982

Magnetic flux trapping during field reversal in the formation of a field-reversed configuration
journal, January 1985

Plasma heating in field-reversed theta pinches
journal, January 1983

Physics Basis and Progress for a Translating FRC for MTF
journal, July 2007

Toroidal field generation and magnetic field relaxation in a conical‐theta‐pinch‐generated configuration
journal, March 1990

Toroidal magnetic field generation during compact toroid formation in a field-reversed theta pinch and a conical theta pinch
journal, January 1986

ϑ‐pinch ionization for field‐reversed configuration formation
journal, May 1981

On the delayed gas breakdown in a ringing theta-pinch with bias magnetic field
journal, May 2012

High-density field-reversed configuration plasma for magnetized target fusion
journal, April 2006

Field-reversed experiments (FRX) on compact toroids
journal, January 1981

A compact fast ionization gauge for in situ measurement of high-density neutral flow dynamics
journal, April 2014

Effects of background neutral particles on a field-reversed configuration plasma in the translation process
journal, August 2008

Addressing Short Trapped-Flux Lifetime in High-Density Field-Reversed Configuration Plasmas in FRCHX
journal, May 2014

The electrodeless Lorentz force (ELF) thruster experimental facility
journal, November 2012

The Plasma Liner Compression Experiment
journal, September 2010

Flux and particle life-time measurements in field-reversed configurations
journal, December 1984

Flux, energy, and particle lifetime measurements for well formed field reversed configurations
journal, December 1986

Nonperturbative measurement of the local magnetic field using pulsed polarimetry for fusion reactor conditions (invited)
journal, October 2008

Flux ropes and 3D dynamics in the relaxation scaling experiment
journal, November 2013

Flux rope dynamics in three dimensions
journal, August 2014

Introduction to Plasma Physics
book, January 1995

Ultra-high-bandwidth polarization interferometry and optimal quadratic phase detection
journal, August 2019

A 3D dynamic model to assess the impacts of low-mode asymmetry, aneurysms and mix-induced radiative loss on capsule performance across inertial confinement fusion platforms
journal, December 2018