| 1. |
- Martin, P., et al.
(författare)
-
Overview of RFX-mod results
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 49:10, s. 104019-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the exploration of the MA plasma current regime in up to 0.5 s long discharges, RFX-mod has opened new and very promising perspectives for the reversed field pinch (RFP) magnetic configuration, and has made significant progress in understanding and improving confinement and in controlling plasma stability. A big leap with respect to previous knowledge and expectations on RFP physics and performance has been made by RFX-mod since the last 2006 IAEA Fusion Energy Conference. A new self-organized helical equilibrium has been experimentally achieved ( the Single Helical Axis-SHAx-state), which is the preferred state at high current. Strong core electron transport barriers characterize this regime, with electron temperature gradients comparable to those achieved in tokamaks, and by a factor of 4 improvement in confinement time with respect to the standard RFP. RFX-mod is also providing leading edge results on real-time feedback control of MHD instabilities, of general interest for the fusion community.
|
|
| 2. |
- Lorenzini, R., et al.
(författare)
-
Self-organized helical equilibria as a new paradigm for ohmically heated fusion plasmas
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Nature Physics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-2473 .- 1745-2481. ; 5:8, s. 570-574
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the quest for new energy sources, the research on controlled thermonuclear fusion has been boosted by the start of the construction phase of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). ITER is based on the tokamak magnetic configuration, which is the best performing one in terms of energy confinement. Alternative concepts are however actively researched, which in the long term could be considered for a second generation of reactors. Here, we show results concerning one of these configurations, the reversed-field pinch (RFP). By increasing the plasma current, a spontaneous transition to a helical equilibrium occurs, with a change of magnetic topology. Partially conserved magnetic flux surfaces emerge within residual magnetic chaos, resulting in the onset of a transport barrier. This is a structural change and sheds new light on the potential of the RFP as the basis for a low-magnetic-field ohmic fusion reactor.
|
|
| 3. |
- Franz, P, et al.
(författare)
-
Tomographic imaging of resistive mode dynamics in the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch
- 2006
-
Ingår i: Physics of Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing. - 1070-664X .- 1089-7674. ; 13:1, s. 012510-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A detailed study of the dynamics and magnetic topological effects of resistive-tearing modes is presented for different operational regimes in the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch [R. N. Dexter , Fusion Technol. 19, 131 (1991)]. Soft-x-ray tomography and magnetic measurements, along with numerical reconstruction of magnetic-field lines with the ORBIT code [R. B. White and M. S. Chance, Phys. Fluids 27, 2455 (1984)], have been employed. Magnetic-mode dynamics has been investigated in standard plasmas during the transition to the quasi-single helicity state, in which a single mode dominates the mode spectrum. Single helical soft-x-ray structures are studied with tomography in these cases. These structures are associated with magnetic islands, indicating that helical flux surfaces appear in the plasma. Mode dynamics has also been examined during auxiliary inductive current drive, the goal of which is to reduce the tearing-mode amplitudes. In this case the phenomenology of the soft-x-ray structures appearing in the plasma is more complex. In fact, when a quasi-single helicity spectrum occurs, a single island bigger than in the standard case is usually found. On the other hand, when all modes decrease, two helical soft-x-ray structures are observed, with the same helicity as the two innermost resonant modes. This constitutes the first direct evidence of magnetic-chaos reduction during auxiliary inductive current drive, which is responsible for the achievement of the best confinement in the reversed-field pinch configuration up to now.
|
|
| 4. |
- Frassinetti, Lorenzo, et al.
(författare)
-
Soft X-ray pulses in the reversed-field pinch
- 2005
-
Ingår i: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. - 0093-3813 .- 1939-9375. ; 33:2, s. 462-463
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Data obtained in the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch with a soft X-ray diagnostic will be presented. They have been used to study transient transport events in this device. Fast thermal relaxation events are associated to bursts of magnetohydrodynamic fluctuations.
|
|
| 5. |
- Marrelli, L., et al.
(författare)
-
Reduced intermittency in the magnetic turbulence of reversed field pinch plasmas
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Physics of Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing. - 1070-664X .- 1089-7674. ; 12:3, s. 030701-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The statistical temporal properties of broadband magnetic turbulence in the edge of reversed field pinch (RFP) plasmas are significantly altered when global magnetohydrodynamic tearing modes and magnetic relaxation are reduced. Standard RFP plasmas, having relatively large tearing fluctuations, exhibit broadband intermittent bursts of magnetic fluctuations in the bandwidth f < 1.5 MHz. When the global tearing is reduced via parallel current drive in the edge region, the magnetic turbulence is much less intermittent and has statistical behavior typical of self-similar turbulence (like that expected in self-organized criticality systems). A connection between intermittency and long wavelength plasma instabilities is therefore implied.
|
|
