Plasma startup patterns in tokamak reactors

Plasma startup patterns are studied from the viewpoint of net power loss represented by the total power loss less the α-particle heating power. The existence is shown of a critical temperature of plasma at which the net power loss becomes independent of plasma density. Observations are made which indicate that the net power loss decreases with lowering plasma density in the range below the critical temperature and vice versa, whether governed by empirical or trapped-ion scaling laws. A startup pattern is presented which minimizes the net power loss during startup, and which prescribes that: (1) The plasma density should be kept as low as possible until the plasma is heated up to the critical temperature; (2) thereafter, the plasma density should be increased to its steady state value while retaining the critical temperature; and (3) finally, with the density kept constant, the temperature should be further raised to its steady state value. The net power loss at critical temperature represents the lower limit of heating power required to bring the plasma to steady state in tokamak reactors. (author)