[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 7, 2402130 (2012)

Regular Articles

Reconstruction of the Toroidal Flow Profile of a Field-Reversed Configuration Plasma
Yasuyuki FUJIKAWA, Tomohiko ASAI, Midori GOUDA, Tsutomu TAKAHASHI, Loren C. STEINHAUER1) and Toshiki TAKAHASHI2)
College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, 1-8-14 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda, Tokyo 101-8308, Japan
1)
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington
2)
Department of Electronic Engineering, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu, Gunma 376-8515, Japan
(Received 10 December 2011 / Accepted 13 July 2012 / Published 13 September 2012)

Abstract

Strong toroidal flow is spontaneously generated in a field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. It is continuously accelerated during and after the formation phase. The centrifugal force resulting from the toroidal flow causes deformation of the toroidal cross section, with toroidal mode number n = 2. The radial profile of this self-generated toroidal flow has previously been described as rigid rotor (RR) in form, i.e., showing uniform angular velocity. However, the toroidal flow profile observed in these experiments indicates the existence of flow shear. In this work, reconstruction of such a profile, utilizing a modified Abel inversion technique, has been performed, and the resulting detailed toroidal flow profile, including time evolution, has been investigated.

Keywords

field-reversed configuration, n = 2 mode rotational instability, toroidal flow, ion Doppler spectroscopy, Abel inversion, rigid rotor, two-point equilibrium

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.7.2402130

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Yasuyuki FUJIKAWA, Tomohiko ASAI, Midori GOUDA, Tsutomu TAKAHASHI, Loren C. STEINHAUER and Toshiki TAKAHASHI, Plasma Fusion Res. 7, 2402130 (2012).