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Experimental study of the hot electron plasma equilibrium in a minimum- B magnetic mirror

1989; American Institute of Physics; Volume: 1; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1063/1.859121

2163-503X

Xing Chen, Barton Lane, D.L. Smatlak, R. S. Post, S. Hokin,

Plasma Diagnostics and Applications

The Constance B mirror [in Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research 1984 (IAEA, Vienna, 1985), Vol. II, p. 285] is a single cell quadrupole magnetic mirror in which high-beta (typically 0.3), hot electron plasmas (Te≂400 keV) are created with up to 4 kW of fundamental electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH). Details of the plasma equilibrium profile are quantitatively determined by fitting model plasma pressure profiles to the data from four complementary measurements: diamagnetic loops and magnetic probes, x-ray pinhole cameras, visible light TV cameras, and thermocouple probes. The experimental analysis shows that the equilibrium pressure profile of an ECRH generated plasma in a baseball magnetic mirror is hollow and the plasma is concentrated along a baseball-seam-shaped curve. The hollowness of the hot electron density profile is 50%±10%. The baseball-seam-shaped equilibrium profile coincides with the drift orbit of deeply trapped electrons in the quadrupole mirror field. Particle drift reversal is predicted to occur for the model pressure profile that best fits the experimental data under the typical operating conditions. When the ECRH resonance is just above the magnetic minimum, the plasma pressure closely approaches the mirror mode beta limit.