Published December 2012 | Version v1
Journal article

Neutral beam heating of a RFP plasma in MST

  • 1. Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1150 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1390 (United States)
  • 2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4575 (United States)
  • 3. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, 250 E. River Rd, Rochester, New York 14623-1299 (United States)
  • 4. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, 11, Akademika Lavrentieva Prospect, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)
  • 5. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)

Description

Electron temperature is observed to rise due to neutral beam injection (NBI) in the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST). Heating is observed to be 100 ± 50 eV in the core of 200 kA plasmas. This is the first definitive measurement of auxiliary heating of a reversed-field pinch (RFP). This heating is consistent with a 1D classical model which was developed. This 1D model calculates the evolving thermal conductivity and ohmic power input profiles during enhanced confinement, and can calculate NBI deposition and classical fast ion diffusion and slowing. The predicted temperature change is consistent with measured beam heating both during and after enhanced confinement, which is consistent with previous observations that fast ions are well confined and behave roughly classically in the RFP.

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physics of Plasmas
Journal Volume
19
Journal Issue
12
Journal Page Range
p. 122505-122505.6
ISSN
1070-664X
CODEN
PHPAEN

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2012 American Institute of Physics