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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
T. D. Akhmetov, V. I. Davydenko
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 35 | Number 1 | January 1999 | Pages 121-125
Oral Presentations | doi.org/10.13182/FST99-A11963835
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
We discuss MHD stability of the plasma in the completely axisymmetric end system of AMBAL-M and suggest a physical model to interpret the experimental results. Measurement of the radial plasma pressure profile in the semicusp using a local magnetic probe allowed estimation of the stability safety factor of the end system plasma which occurred to be greater than 3÷4. Gas puffing into the semicusp increases the plasma pressure in this region and hence enhances stability. To explain the observed MHD stability of the end mirror plasma when the MHD stabilizer — semicusp was switched off and the average field line curvature was unfavorable, a model was proposed which assumes that the plasma at the periphery had an electric contact with a limiter. As a result, the potential of flute perturbations vanishes at the plasma periphery. In this case finite Larmor radius effects may stabilize the most dangerous first (global) azimuthal mode because of nonlinear dependence of plasma perturbations on radius.