High Performance Plasmas on the National Spherical Torus Experiment

Gates, D.A. ; Bell, M.G. ; Bell, R.E. ; Bialek, J. ; Bigelow, T. ; Bitter, M. ; Bonoli, P. ; Darrow, D. ; Efthimion, P. ; Ferron, J. ; Fredrickson, E. ; Grisham, L. ; Hosea, J. ; Johnson, D. ; Kaita, R. ; Kaye, S. ; Kubota, S. ; Kugel, H. ; LeBlanc, B. ; Maingi, R. ; Manickam, J. ; Mau, T.K. ; Maqueda, R.J. ; Mazzucato, E. ; Menard, J. ; Mueller, D. ; Nelson, B. ; Nishino, N. ; Ono, M. ; Paoletti, F. ; Paul, S. ; Peng, Y-K.M. ; Phillips, C.K. ; Raman, R. ; Ryan, P. ; Sabbagh, S.A. ; Schaffer, M. ; Skinner, C.H. ; Stutman, D. ; Swain, D. ; Synakowski, E. ; Takase, Y. ; Wilgen, J. ; Wilson, J.R. ; Zhu, W. ; Zweben, S. ; Bers, A. ; Carter, M. ; Deng, B. ; Domier, C. ; Doyle, E. ; Finkenthal, M. ; Hill, K. ; Jarboe, T. ; Jardin, S. ; Ji, H. ; Lao, L. ; Lee, K.C. ; Luhmann, N. ; Majeski, R. ; Park, H. ; Peebles, T. ; Pinsker, R.I. ; Porter, G. ; Ram, A. ; Rensink, M. ; Rognlien, T. ; Stotler, D. ; Stratton, B. ; Taylor, G. ; Wampler, W. ; Wurden, G.A. ; Xu, X.Q. ; Zeng, L. ; Team, and the NSTX

Princeton University. Plasma Physics Laboratory.

关键词: Heating;    Nstx Device;    70 Plasma Physics And Fusion Technology;    Confinement Time;    Non-Inductive Current Drive;   

DOI  :  10.2172/787720
RP-ID  :  PPPL-3590
RP-ID  :  AC02-76CH03073
RP-ID  :  787720

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来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) has produced toroidal plasmas at low aspect ratio (A = R/a = 0.86 m/0.68 m approximately equal to 1.3, where R is the major radius and a is the minor radius of the torus) with plasma currents of 1.4 MA. The rapid development of the machine has led to very exciting physics results during the first full year of physics operation. Pulse lengths in excess of 0.5 sec have been obtained with inductive current drive. Up to 4 MW of High Harmonic Fast Wave (HHFW) heating power has been applied with 6 MW planned. Using only 2 MW of HHFW heating power clear evidence of electron heating is seen with HHFW, as observed by the multi-point Thomson scattering diagnostic. A noninductive current drive concept known as Coaxial Helicity Injection (CHI) has driven 260 kA of toroidal current. Neutral-beam heating power of 5 MW has been injected. Plasmas with beta toroidal (= 2 mu(subscript ''0'')

/B(superscript ''2'') = a measure of magnetic confinement efficiency ) of 22% have been achieved, as calculated using the EFIT equilibrium reconstruction code. Beta-limiting phenomena have been observed, and the maximum beta toroidal scales with I(subscript ''p'')/aB(subscript ''t''). High frequency (>MHz) magnetic fluctuations have been observed. High-confinement mode plasmas are observed with confinement times of >100 msec. Beam-heated plasmas show energy confinement times in excess of those predicted by empirical scaling expressions. Ion temperatures in excess of 2.0 keV have been measured, and power balance suggests that the power loss from the ions to the electrons may exceed the calculated classical input power to the ions.