The Helicity Injected Torus [T. R. Jarboe, Fusion Technol. 15, 7 (1989)] is a low aspect ratio tokamak that is formed and sustained by coaxial helicity injection with no transformer. Toroidal plasma currents of over 200 kA have been achieved with electron temperatures in the 100 eV range and electron density between 1019 and 1020 m−3. The major radius is 0.3 m and the minor radius is 0.2 m. New results from equilibrium and stability analysis of the external magnetic diagnostics and new results from the Transient Internal Probe (TIP), an internal magnetic field diagnostic, are presented. A mechanism for the transfer of current drive on the open to the closed flux regions is presented.

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The transient internal probe (TIP) is a novel diagnostic technique for measuring magnetic fields in hot plasmas. The concept involves shooting a diamond clad magneto-optic probe through the plasma at high velocity allowing measurement of the local magnetic field before ablation occurs. Magnetic field measurements are obtained by illuminating the probe with an argon laser and measuring the amount of Faraday rotation in the reflected light. The diagnostic was tested by measuring a permanent magnetic field inside a vacuum chamber with a probe traveling at 2 km/s using an unclad probe. The purpose of this experiment was to demonstrate the capability of the TIP diagnostic and to verify compatibility with plasma vacuum requirements. Magnetic field resolutions of 20 G and 1 cm spatial resolution were achieved. The response time of the detection system is 10 MHz. Introduction of a helium muzzle gas into the plasma chamber was limited to less than 0.4 Torr ℓ.

The transient internal probe (TIP) diagnostic is designed to permit internal magnetic field measurements in hot, high density plasmas. A small probe is fired through the plasma at high velocities and magnetic field measurements are accomplished using Faraday rotation within the Verdet glass probe. Magnetic field resolution of ±40 G and spatial resolution of 5 mm have been achieved. System frequency response is 10 MHz. Ablative effects are avoided by minimizing both the probe size and the time the probe spends in the plasma. A two-stage light-gas gun is used to accelerate the probe (held by a sabot) to 2.2 km/s. The sabot is removed using gas dynamic forces and a gas interface system prevents the helium muzzle gas from entering the plasma chamber. Work is underway to integrate the TIP diagnostic with laboratory plasma experiments.

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