[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 1, 008 (2006)

Rapid Communications


First Plasma in the RT-1 Device
Zensho YOSHIDA, Yuichi OGAWA1), Junji MORIKAWA, Sho WATANABE, Yoshihisa YANO, Shoichi MIZUMAKI2), Taizo TOSAKA2), Yasumi OHTANI2), Atsuro HAYAKAWA2) and Masanao SHIBUI2)
Department of Advanced Energy, Univeristy of Tokyo
1)
High-Temperature Plasma Center, Univeristy of Tokyo
2)
Toshiba Corporation
(Received 19 January 2006 / Accepted 23 January 2006 / Published 27 February 2006)

Abstract

The first plasma experiment using the Ring Trap-1 (RT-1) was performed on January 12, 2006. The RT-1 is a novel plasma device constructed to explore ways to the advanced-fuel fusion. The mechanism of plasma confinement is based on the theory of high-beta equilibrium that is self-organized in a flowing plasma. A superconducting ring, levitated in the vacuum chamber, produces a magnetic field that traps high-temperature plasma, creating a magnetosphere-like configuration. Plasma is produced by electron cyclotron heating using an 8.2 GHz microwave.


Keywords

flowing plasma, high-beta plasma, double beltrami field, high Tc superconductor

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.1.008


Movie

The first plasma experiment performed on the RT-1 device. The plasma is produced by ECH using an 8.2 GHz microwave. The pulse duration was 1 sec, as determined by the microwave operation. In the second video, the ring magnet was levitated about 30 mm over the lifter, while in the first video it was placed on the lifter.

Windows Media Video file (2.8Mbytes)
MP4 file (3.8Mbytes)


References

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Zensho YOSHIDA, Yuichi OGAWA, Junji MORIKAWA, Sho WATANABE, Yoshihisa YANO, Shoichi MIZUMAKI, Taizo TOSAKA, Yasumi OHTANI, Atsuro HAYAKAWA and Masanao SHIBUI, Plasma Fusion Res. 1, 008 (2006).

(Revised 3 March 2006)