Quasistatic Formation of the Spheromak Plasma Configuration

Abstract

A novel method for creating the spheromak configuration has been proposed and verified experimentally. The scheme is based on a transfer of poloidal and toroidal magnetic fluxes into a plasma from a "flux core." We present the first experimental verification of this quasistatic (${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{Alfv}\stackrel{\ifmmode\acute\else\textasciiacute\fi{}}{\mathrm{e}}\mathrm{n}}\ensuremath{\ll}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{form}}<{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{diff}}$) formation scheme, which is suitable for future scaleup to fusion-reactor parameters.