Experimental beta limits of symmetric linear heliac configurations
- 120 AERL FL-10, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States)
Helically symmetric heliac equilibria [H. P. Furth, [ital Plasma] [ital Physics] [ital and] [ital Controlled] [ital Fusion] [ital Research] (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1966), Vol. 1, p. 103] are formed on the High Beta Q Machine (HBQM) [C. M. Greenfield, Phys. Fluids B [bold 2], 133 (1990)] by using a fast-rising central conductor (hardcore) current in conjunction with a shock-heated [ital l]=1 stellarator configuration. The equilibria are found to possess a high global beta and the plasma pressure is approximately a flux-surface quantity. Under the effects of plasma, the magnetic well is found to deepen and the rotational transform is greatly increased and becomes highly sheared, owing to plasma currents induced by the fast-rising hardcore current. In the second phase of the experiment, the equilibrium fields of the symmetric heliac are lowered while maintaining the same shock heating in an attempt to raise the global beta. No substantial change in global beta is seen, indicating that the configuration forms at the beta limit in the shock-heated HBQM, and that the plasma beta seen in the first phase of the experiment is the symmetric heliac beta limit.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG06-87ER53242
- OSTI ID:
- 7271774
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas; (United States), Vol. 1:8; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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