Bootstrap-current experiments in a toroidal plasma-confinement device

Abstract

The toroidal current observed during electron cyclotron heating in the Advanced Toroidal Facility torsatron is identified as bootstrap current. The observed currents, ranging between +4 and -2 kA, agree well with predictions of neoclassical theory in magnitude and parametric dependence, as determined by systematic scans of quadrupole (shaping) and dipole (magnetic axis shift) moments of the poloidal magnetic field. It has been shown that the bootstrap current in a stellarator can be externally controlled, and zero-current operation can be achieved.