Imposed-dynamo current drive

Abstract

Abstract A mechanism for steady inductive helicity injection (SIHI) current drive has been discovered where the current driving fluctuations are not generated by the plasma but rather are imposed by the injectors. Sheared flow of the electron fluid distorts the imposed fluctuations to drive current. The model accurately predicts the time dependent toroidal current, the injector impedance scaling, and the profile produced in the HIT-SI experiment. These results show that a stable equilibrium can be efficiently sustained with imposed fluctuations and the current profile can, in principle, be controlled. Both are large steps for controlled fusion. Some of the effects of the fluctuations on the confinement of tokamak and spheromak reactors are assessed and the degradation may be tolerable. The mechanism is also of interest to plasma self-organization, fast reconnection and plasma physics in general.