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  • Accepted Manuscript: Formation and sustainment of field reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas by spheromak merging and neutral beam injection

Title: Formation and sustainment of field reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas by spheromak merging and neutral beam injection

This study briefly reviews a compact toroid reactor concept that addresses critical issues for forming, stabilizing and sustaining a field reversed configuration (FRC) with the use of plasma merging, plasma shaping, conducting shells, neutral beam injection (NBI). In this concept, an FRC plasma is generated by the merging of counter-helicity spheromaks produced by inductive discharges and sustained by the use of neutral beam injection (NBI). Plasma shaping, conducting shells, and the NBI would provide stabilization to global MHD modes. Although a specific FRC reactor design is outside the scope of the present paper, an example of a promising FRC reactor program is summarized based on the previously developed SPIRIT (Self-organized Plasmas by Induction, Reconnection and Injection Techniques) concept in order to connect this concept to the recently achieved the High Performance FRC plasmas obtained by Tri Alpha Energy [Binderbauer et al, Phys. Plasmas 22,056110, (2015)]. This paper includes a brief summary of the previous concept paper by M. Yamada et al, Plasma Fusion Res. 2, 004 (2007) and the recent experimental results from MRX.
Authors:
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  1. Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Publication Date:
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-09CH11466
Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 1721; Conference: Norman Rostokar Memorial Symposium , Newport Beach, CA (United States), 24-25 Aug 2016
Publisher:
AIP Publishing (USA)
Research Org:
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org:
USDOE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; field reversed configurations; spheromaks; fusion plasma; magnetic reconnection; magnetohydrodynamic waves
OSTI Identifier:
1309540