On modelling of steady states in toroidal machines for basic plasma physics

Toroidal Machines like ACT-I, BLAAMANN and TORELLO have a strong toroidal magnetic field, and may under steady state operation produce a plasma continuously for instance between a hot filament and an anode placed diametrically opposite in the toroidal direction. Charged particles spiral in the toroidal direction, collide in between themselves and with the background gas and drift and diffuse normal to and along the magnetic field giving rise to particular density, temperature and electric potential profiles over the circular cross section. Details of measured global plasma behaviour are of interest because they reflect fundamental transport mechanisms that are important in these machines. (author) 5 refs., 4 figs