Suppressed ion-scale turbulence in a hot high-β plasma.

An economic magnetic fusion reactor favours a high ratio of plasma kinetic pressure to magnetic pressure in a well-confined, hot plasma with low thermal losses across the confining magnetic field. Field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas are potentially attractive as a reactor concept, achieving high plasma pressure in a simple axisymmetric geometry. Here, we show that FRC plasmas have unique, beneficial microstability properties that differ from typical regimes in toroidal confinement devices.

Diagnostic suite of the C-2U advanced beam-driven field-reversed configuration plasma experiment.

The C-2U experiment at Tri Alpha Energy studies the evolution of field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas sustained by neutral beam injection. Data on the FRC plasma performance are provided by a comprehensive suite of diagnostics that includes magnetic sensors, interferometry, Thomson scattering, spectroscopy, bolometry, reflectometry, neutral particle analyzers, and fusion product detectors. While many of these diagnostic systems were inherited from the preceding experiment C-2, C-2U has a variety of new and upgraded diagnostic systems: multi-chord far-infrared polarimetry, multiple fast imaging cameras with selectable atomic line filters, proton detector arrays, and 100 channel bolometer units capable of observing multiple regions of the spectrum simultaneously.

Multi-channel Doppler backscattering measurements in the C-2 field reversed configuration.

A versatile heterodyne Doppler Backscattering (DBS) system is used to measure density fluctuation levels (in the wavenumber range kρs ≤ 50), and the toroidal E × B flow velocity in the C-2 Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC). Six tunable frequencies in three waveguide bands (26 GHz ≤ f ≤ 90 GHz) are launched using monostatic beam optics, via a quasi-optical beam combiner/polarizer and an adjustable parabolic focusing mirror (inside the vacuum enclosure) achieving Gaussian beam spot sizes of 3-5.5 cm at the X/O-mode cutoff.

Overview of C-2 field-reversed configuration experiment plasma diagnostics.

A comprehensive diagnostic suite for field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas has been developed and installed on the C-2 device at Tri Alpha Energy to investigate the dynamics of FRC formation as well as to understand key FRC physics properties, e.g., confinement and stability, throughout a discharge.

Far infrared laser polarimetry and far forward scattering diagnostics for the C-2 field reversed configuration plasmas.

A two-chord far infrared (FIR) laser polarimeter for high speed sub-degree Faraday rotation measurements in the C-2 field reversed configuration experiment is described. It is based on high power proprietary FIR lasers with line width of about 330 Hz. The exceptionally low intrinsic instrument phase error is characterized with figures of merit.