The impedance and energy efficiency of a coaxial magnetized plasma source used for spheromak formation and sustainment

Barnes, Cris W.; Jarboe, T.R.; Marklin, G.J.; Knox, S.O.; Henins, I.

doi:10.1063/1.859459

Cited by 78 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…20,21 For the experiments here, LӍ0.12 m, ⌽ Ӎ0.3 mWb so this model predicts instability when IϾ7 kA. The experimental current was increasing sinusoidally from near zero at tϭ0 to a maximum of 18 kA at tϭ6.5 s. Thus the magnitude of the experimental current is in reasonable agreement with the model.…”

Section: Approximate Solutions Relevant To the Experimentssupporting

confidence: 74%

Laboratory simulations of solar prominence eruptions

Bellan

Hansen

1998

Physics of Plasmas

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Spheromak technology is exploited to create laboratory simulations of solar prominence eruptions. It is found that the initial simulated prominences are arched, but then bifurcate into twisted secondary structures which appear to follow fringing field lines. A simple model explains many of these topological features in terms of the trajectories of field lines associated with relaxed states, i.e., states satisfying ٌϫBϭ B. This model indicates that the field line concept is more fundamental than the flux tube concept because a field line can always be defined by specifying a starting point whereas attempting to define a flux tube by specifying a starting cross section typically works only if is small. The model also shows that, at least for plasma evolving through a sequence of force-free states, the oft-used line-tying concept is in error. Contrary to the predictions of line-tying, direct integration of field line trajectories shows explicitly that when is varied, both ends of field lines intersecting a flux-conserving plane do not remain anchored to fixed points in that plane. Finally, a simple explanation is provided for the S-shaped magnetic structures often seen on the sun; the S shape is shown to be an automatic consequence of field line arching and the parallelism between magnetic field and current density for force-free states.

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Section: Approximate Solutions Relevant To the Experimentssupporting

confidence: 74%

Laboratory simulations of solar prominence eruptions

Bellan

Hansen

1998

Physics of Plasmas

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“…Similar voltage spikes ͑or oscillations͒ were seen in the Compact Torus Experiment, CTX, when it was driven by a high impedance power source, 7 but their cause was not understood. The results presented in the present paper show that voltage spikes accompany magnetic reconnection in a resistive magnetohydrodynamic ͑MHD͒ simulation using the three-dimensional NIMROD code 8,9 which provides a description of the reconnection physics within the resistive MHD approximation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Magnetic reconnection during flux conversion in a driven spheromak

et al. 2005

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“…1 shows a cross section of the SSPX identifying the major hardware components along with a typical MHD equilibrium. As in CTX [6] and earlier spheromak experiments [1], DC coaxial helicity injection is used to build and sustain the spheromak plasma within the flux conserver. In SSPX, the outer electrode of the coaxial region is contiguous and electrically connected to the outer flux conserver.…”

Section: Overview Of the Sspx Device And Operationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved operation of the SSPX spheromak

Wood¹,

Hill²,

Hooper³

et al. 2005

Nucl. Fusion

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We present significant advances in the performance and understanding of the Sustained Spheromak Physics Experiment (SSPX). High performance discharges are obtained by adjusting the injected current and bias magnetic flux to produce a flat to slightly peaked radial current profile, consistent with reducing the drive for tearing and other MHD modes. Wall conditioning and density control also are essential to obtaining high performance discharges.With these optimizations, plasmas with peak electron temperatures of ~350 eV, edge magnetic fluctuation levels less than 1%, and core thermal diffusivities (χ e ) <10 m 2 /s are produced. Most SSPX temperature data are bounded by a β e~5 % but differentiating between a stability limit and simple energy transport, until now, has not been possible. Achieving these high performance discharges enables us to consider the possibly of auxiliary heating of a spheromak for the first time.

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The impedance and energy efficiency of a coaxial magnetized plasma source used for spheromak formation and sustainment

Abstract: Articles you may be interested inGeneration of an electron cyclotron resonance plasma using coaxial-type open-ended dielectric cavity with permanent magnets

Cited by 78 publications

References 19 publications

Laboratory simulations of solar prominence eruptions

Laboratory simulations of solar prominence eruptions

Magnetic reconnection during flux conversion in a driven spheromak

Improved operation of the SSPX spheromak

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