Mode locking in reversed-field pinch experiments

The MHD mode trajectory in the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch has been found to obey the sine-Gordon equation. Corresponding to experiment, a perturbation analysis predicts the locations of mode locking to be at the vacuum chamber poloidal and/or toroidal gaps. The mode's energy dissipates when it locks, as shown by a decaying spiral phase-plane trajectory. Unlocked modes travel around the torus without an abrupt energy loss. By varying key machine parameters obtained by statistical analysis, the probability of locking in accordance with the experimental results can be predicted.     

Low Frequency Rf Heating with a Helical Coupler in a Hot Electron Plasma

A magnetic mirror (mirror ratio 2.38:1) containing ECRH generated hydrogen plasma, with a density of 5 x 1010 cm-3 with cold electron temperature of 11 eV, was used to study propagation of an artificially launched wave varying as ej(?t + m? - kz) at approximately the ion cyclotron frequency. The wave was transmitted between two similar internally placed helically wound antennas separated by 11 wavelengths. The coupling between them was enhanced by as much as 50 times in the presence of plasma. The m = 1 left-handed component was cut off when ? > ?ci. Electron temperatures could be increased by more than 2 times with the m = 1 mode, presumably due to ion heating. Little pump-out was observed.     

Electrode Kinetics and Sensitivity of Nanostructured Electrodes from Different Carbon Fiber Precursor Materials

Correlation of properties of common carbon fiber precursor materials, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and pitch, with kinetics and sensitivity of microdisk electrodes, PAN T650, PAN HCB and Pitch P25, nanostructured by an electrochemical etching method was tested. Sensitivity of PAN electrodes is higher but kinetics are slower than at pitch electrodes due to more defects in PAN. Because of more surface oxides at PAN T650 adsorption of dopamine is greater than at PAN HCB electrodes but for uric acid adsorption is greater at PAN HCB. Uric acid sensitivity is related to high conductivity of PAN fibers, with an inverse relationship observed for dopamine.     

The electrostatic potentials in an electron-cyclotron-resonance processing plasma

The axial distribution of the electrostatic potentials ofan electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR) processing plasma confined in a do magnetic mirror geometry was characterized. The potential profiles far argon and helium at 8.0x 10^–4 and 4.0 × 10^–4 Torr were measured using electron emissive probes. The experimental measurements were then compared with the predictions of a one-dimensional, electrostatic, particle-in-cell computer code which runs on a personal computer. The potential profiles as predicted by the code showed good agreement with the experimental measurements.     

The sine-Gordon equation in toroidal magnetic-fusion experiments

This paper presents a new nonlinear model which describes localized magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes in reversed-field pinch (RFP) experiments. To date, nearly all experimental and theoretical work in this area has relied on the use of Fourier decomposition of spatial variations as a function of time. Moreover, due to the complexity of this nonlinear problem, previous work has been restricted to the analysis of a relatively small number of modes. In contrast, the model studied in this paper, based on the damped-driven sine-Gordon (DDSG) equation, addresses the full nonlinearity, does not rely on Fourier decomposition, and does not require the range of the nonlinearity to be small. A specific consequence of working with the full nonlinearity is the existence of solitary waves in dispersive media. These solitary waves, a key part of the model, are used to describe the so-called slinky mode propagating in the plasma. A remarkable resemblance is seen between the waveforms obtained from experiments and the mathematical predictions of the new model.     

Lower Hybrid Heating of an Electron-Cyclotron-Resonance Plasma in a Canted Magnetic Mirror

Plasma heating at the lower hybrid resonance was studied experimentally in a canted magnetic mirror in order to determine the effects of magnetic field curvature on heating efficiency. Heating occurred mainly on what would be the "outside" of an equivalent torus, peaking near the hybrid resonant layer. The best conditions for heating were seen to be a relatively flat density profile of magnitude slightly below that where hybrid resonance would be expected. The density profile was seen to move "outward" as cant angle was increased, while the hybrid layers were seen to move oppositely, toward what would be the inside of the torus. No significant deleterious effects on the efficiency of the lower hybrid resonant heating (LHRH) were observed as the canting was changed.     

Effects of Lower-Hybrid Heating on the Hot Electrons in an Electron-Cyclotron-Resonance Plasma

Experiments were performed on an electron cyclotron resonance plasma in a dc magnetic mirror to determine the effects of lower hybrid resonance radiation on the anisotropy of the plasma. It was found that the anisotropy of the plasma hot electrons decreased, the flux of hot electrons escaping through the mirror throats decreased and the midplane wall bremsstrahlung rate slightly increased as lower hybrid resonance power was increased. This is explained by observing that cold plasma, expelled by the lower hybrid radiation, decreases the number of scattering centers in the midplane, which results in a deeper diamagnetic well for the hot electrons.