Abstract
One of the most important problems to be studied in the gas-dynamic trap (GDT) facility is the investigation of MHD stability and cross-field transport in a plasma with a relatively high value of β = πp/B 2. Recent experiments demonstrated that the radial electric field produced in the plasma by using radial limiters and coaxial end plasma collectors improves plasma stability in axisymmetric magnetic mirror systems without applying special MHD stabilizers. The experimental data presented in this work show that stable plasma confinement can be achieved by producing a radial potential drop across a narrow region near the plasma boundary. Creating radial electric fields of strength 15–40 V/cm causes a shear plasma flow, thereby substantially increasing the plasma confinement time. When all the radial electrodes were grounded, the confinement was unstable and the plasma confinement time was much shorter than the characteristic time of plasma outflow through the magnetic mirrors. Measurements of cross-field plasma fluxes with the use of a specially designed combined probe show that, in confinement modes with differential plasma rotation, transverse particle losses are negligibly small as compared to longitudinal ones and thus can be ignored. It is also shown that, when the GDT plasma is in electric contact with the radial limiters and end collectors, the growth rate of interchange instability decreases considerably; such a contact, however, does not ensure complete MHD stability when the electrodes are at the same potential.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
V. V. Mirnov and D. D. Ryutov, Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 5, 678 (1979) [Sov. Tech. Phys. Lett. 5, 279 (1979)].
P. A. Bagryansky, A. A. Ivanov, E. P. Kruglyakov, et al., Fusion Eng. Des. 70, 13 (2004).
A. A. Ivanov, P. A. Bagryansky, A. V. Anikeev, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 105 002 (2003).
A. A. Ivanov, P. A. Bagryansky, A. V. Anikeev, et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1529 (1994).
A. V. Anikeev, P. A. Bagryansky, P. P. Deichuli, et al., Phys. Plasmas 4, 347 (1997).
P. A. Bagryansky, E. Yu. Kolesnikov, A. A. Lizunov, et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 43, 152 (2003).
O. Sakai, Y. Yasaka, and R. Itatani, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 4071 (1993).
F. Chen, in Plasma Diagnostic Techniques, Ed. by R. H. Huddlestone and S. L. Leonard (Academic, New York, 1965; Mir, Moscow, 1967).
R. Kumar and S. K. Saha, Nucl. Fusion 43, 622 (2003).
P. A. Bagryansky and E. I. Soldatkina, in XXXIII International Zvenigorod Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion, Zvenigorod, 2006, Book of Abstracts, p. 80.
M. S. Chashchin and A. D. Beklemishev, Preprint No. 2006-19 (Budker Inst. of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch, Russ. Acad. Sci., Novosibirsk, 2006).
I. A. Kotel’nikov, G. V. Roslyakov, and D. D. Ryutov, Fiz. Plazmy 13, 403 (1987) [Sov. J. Plasma Phys. 13, 227 (1987)].
A. L. Solomakhin, P. A. Bagryansky, R. V. Voskoboinikov, et al., Prib. Tekh. Eksp., No. 5, 96 (2005) [Instrum. Exp. Tech. 48, 649 (2005)].
Yu. A. Tsidulko in XXXIII International Zvenigorod Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion, Zvenigorod, 2006, Book of Abstracts, p. 85.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Original Russian Text © E.I. Soldatkina, P.A. Bagryansky, A.L. Solomakhin, 2008, published in Fizika Plazmy, 2008, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 291–296.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Soldatkina, E.I., Bagryansky, P.A. & Solomakhin, A.L. Influence of the radial profile of the electric potential on the confinement of a high-β two-component plasma in a gas-dynamic trap. Plasma Phys. Rep. 34, 259–264 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063780X08040016
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063780X08040016