Point-Source Helicity Injection Current Drive System for the Pegasus Toroidal Experiment

Recent Pegasus experiments are developing solenoid-free startup techniques using point-source magnetic helicity injection. These plasma sources, called “plasma guns”, ionize a stream of gas in a discharge channel, and bias this channel with respect to an external electrode, driving current along the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fusion energy 2009-06, Vol.28 (2), p.203-207
Main Authors: Redd, A. J., Battaglia, D. J., Bongard, M. W., Fonck, R. J., Hinson, E. T., Kujak-Ford, B. A., Lewicki, B. T., Sontag, A. C., Winz, G. R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Channels
Discharge
Electrodes
Electrons
Energy Systems
Helicity
Injection current
Injectors
Magnetic fields
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Fusion
Original Paper
Pegasus
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Plasma
Plasma guns
Plasma Physics
Solenoids
Streams
Supplies
Sustainable Development
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Summary:Recent Pegasus experiments are developing solenoid-free startup techniques using point-source magnetic helicity injection. These plasma sources, called “plasma guns”, ionize a stream of gas in a discharge channel, and bias this channel with respect to an external electrode, driving current along the plasma stream, which relaxes into a tokamak-like equilibrium. The relaxed discharges formed by these injectors exhibit high current amplification, which is the ratio of total toroidal current to the gun-driven current. The development and present design of these injectors are described, and time traces from a typical discharge are presented.
ISSN:0164-0313
1572-9591
DOI:10.1007/s10894-008-9183-9