Low-frequency fluctuations in a pure toroidal magnetized plasma

A magnetized, low-β plasma in pure toroidal configuration is formed and extensively studied with ion mass as control parameter. Xenon, krypton and argon plasmas are formed at a fixed toroidal magnetic field of 0.024 T, with a peak density of ∼10¹¹ cm⁻³, ∼4 × 10¹⁰ cm ⁻³ and ∼2 × 10¹⁰ cm ⁻³ respectively. The experimental investigation of time-averaged plasma parameter reveals that their profiles remain insensitive to ion mass and suggests that saturated slab equilibrium is obtained. Low-frequency (LF) coherent fluctuations (ω < ω _ci) are observed and identified as flute modes. Here ω _ci represents ion cyclotron frequency. Our results indicate that these modes get reduced with ion mass. The frequency of the fluctuating mode decreases with increase in the ion mass. Further, an attempt has been made to discuss the theory of flute modes to understand the relevance of some of our experimental observations.     

Identification of zonal flows in a toroidal plasma

This Letter presents experimental confirmation of the presence of zonal flows in magnetically confined toroidal plasma using an advanced diagnostic system--dual heavy ion beam probes. The simultaneous observation of an electric field at two distant toroidal locations (approximately 1.5 m apart) in the high temperature (approximately 1 keV) plasma provides a fluctuation spectrum of electric field (or flow), a spatiotemporal structure of the zonal flows (characteristic radial length of approximately 1.5 cm and lifetime of approximately 1.5 ms), their long-range correlation with toroidal symmetry (n=0), and the difference in the zonal flow amplitude with and without a transport barrier. These constitute essential elements of turbulence-zonal flow systems, and illustrate one of the fundamental processes of structure formation in nature.     

Reduced magnetohydrodynamics of a toroidal plasma with flows

A simplified system of MHD equations describing the nonlinear dynamics of a toroidal plasma in a high magnetic field is obtained by correct elimination of the fast magnetosonic oscillations. In contrast to earlier analogs (Kadomtsev-Pogutse, Strauss, and other equations), the symmetries and the corresponding conservation laws characteristic of the initial complete system of MHD equations are preserved in the system of equations obtained here. This makes it possible to use the system obtained here to analyze the dynamics of plasma with flow and to avoid error accumulation in the analysis of the long-time evolution of disturbances.     

A contribution to the measurement of the electron density of discharge plasma by means of a toroidal resonator

The paper deals with the calculation of the relations between the parameters of plasma and a toroidal resonator. It follows on from a previous paper (ÍCHA M: Czech. J. Phys.B 12 (1962), 632), where a simplified calculation of the sought relation is given.     

A double toroidal analyzer for scanning probe electron energy spectrometer

An ultra-high vacuum(UHV) compatible electron spectrometer employing a double toroidal analyzer has been developed. It is designed to be combined with a custom-made scanning tunneling microscope(STM) to study the spatially localized electron energy spectrum on a surface. A tip–sample system composed of a piezo-driven field-emission tungsten tip and a sample of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite(HOPG) is employed to test the performance of the spectrometer.Two-dimensional images of the energy-resolved and angle-dispersed electrons backscattered from the surface of HOPG are obtained, the performance is optimized and the spectrometer is calibrated. A complete electron energy loss spectrum covering the elastic peak to the secondary electron peaks for the HOPG surface, acquired at a tip voltage of-140 V and a sample current of 0.5 pA, is presented, demonstrating the viability of the spectrometer.     

Direct determination of the electron energy confinement time of a tokamak plasma

A method of determining the electron energy confinement time τ_E is presented which does not require the absolute electron temperatures and densities, or their spatial profiles. A short heating pulse is applied to the plasma; the subsequent decay of electron temperature yields τ_E.     

Experimental evidence of a zonal magnetic field in a toroidal plasma

A zonal magnetic field is found in a toroidal plasma. The magnetic field has a symmetric bandlike structure, which is uniform in the toroidal and poloidal directions and varies radially with a finite wavelength of mesoscale, which is analogous to zonal flows. A time-dependent bicoherence analysis reveals that the magnetic field should be generated by the background plasma turbulence. The discovery is classified as a new kind of phenomenon of structured magnetic field generation, giving insight into phenomena such as dipole field generation in rotational planets.     

Classical impurity ion confinement in a toroidal magnetized fusion plasma

High-resolution measurements of impurity ion dynamics provide first-time evidence of classical ion confinement in a toroidal, magnetically confined plasma. The density profile evolution of fully stripped carbon is measured in MST reversed-field pinch plasmas with reduced magnetic turbulence to assess Coulomb-collisional transport without the neoclassical enhancement from particle drift effects. The impurity density profile evolves to a hollow shape, consistent with the temperature screening mechanism of classical transport. Corroborating methane pellet injection experiments expose the sensitivity of the impurity particle confinement time to the residual magnetic fluctuation amplitude.     

Propagation of vacuum arc plasma beam in a toroidal filter

An analytical solution to the problem of plasma beam transport in a toroidal magnetic filter for unmagnetized ions is derived. A two-fluid model taking into account electromagnetic and pressure forces, electron-ion collisions, magnetic force line curvature, and radial dependence of centrifugal force is used. From comparison with experimental data it is shown that the obtained solution describes well the main properties of plasma beam behavior in the filter, e.g. (1) the relative value of the ion current along the torus decreases exponentially, (2) the deflection of the plasma beam from the center of the torus correlates with the centrifugal drift of the plasma beam across a magnetic field, and (3) experiment and theory agree well on the weak correlation between magnetic field strength and filter efficiency     

Statistical properties of turbulence in a toroidal magnetized ECR plasma

The statistical analyses of fluctuation data measured by electrostatic-probe arrays clearly show that the self-organized criticality (SOC) avalanches are not the dominant behaviors in a toroidal ECR plasma in the SMT (Simple Magnetic Torus) mode of KT-5D device. The f⁻¹ index region in the auto-correlation spectra of the floating potential Vf and the ion saturation current Is, which is a fingerprint of a SOC system, ranges only in a narrow frequency band. By investigating the Hurst exponents at increasingly coarse grained time series, we find that at a time scale of τ>100 μs, there exists no or a very weak long-range correlation over two decades in τ. The difference between the PDFs of Is and Vf clearly shows a more global nature of the latter. The transport flux induced by the turbulence suggests that the natural intermittency of turbulent transport maybe independent of the avalanche induced by near criticality. The drift instability is dominant in a SMT plasma generated by means of ECR discharges.     

An analytic solution of the stationary MHD equations for a rotating toroidal plasma

An analytic MHD equilibrium for an axisymmetric torodial plasma with toroidal and toroidal flow is obtained in the limit of small ratio of poloidal to toroidal magnetic field and small beta. For a critical value of the poloidal velocity a limitation of the domain of validity of the solution appears.     

Energy analysis of a toroidal magnetohydrodynamic plasma with fluid motion

Summary The relaxation process in an ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) plasma with fluid velocity and enclosed in a toroidal vessel has been discussed. The expressions for the field parameters and the energy state of the system have been derived. The expression for the minimum energy state of the system has been deduced. An analysis of the conservation of energy of the system in the presence of weak and strong magnetic fields has also been presented. The author of this paper has agreed to not receive the proofs for correction. This work was commenced and partly completed during author's short stay at I.C.T.P.-Trieste, Italy, in 1988.