Stabilization of the external kink and the resistive wall mode

TLDR

Research into steady‑state economic fusion energy has driven progress in stabilizing the external kink and resistive wall mode, with advances in experiment, theory, diagnostics, heating, and feedback leading to substantial understanding and techniques that also improve overall fusion confinement performance. The paper reviews the conceptual foundations and experimental results for stabilizing the external kink and resistive wall mode. The authors compile and analyze conceptual foundations and experimental data on stabilizing these instabilities.

Abstract

The pursuit of steady-state economic production of thermonuclear fusion energy has led to research on the stabilization of the external kink and the resistive wall mode. Advances in both experiment and theory, together with improvements in diagnostics, heating and feedback methods have led to substantial and steady progress in the understanding and stabilization of these instabilities. Many of the theory and experimental techniques and results that have been developed are useful not only for the stabilization of the resistive wall mode. They can also be used to improve the general performance of fusion confinement devices. The conceptual foundations and experimental results on the stabilization of the external kink and the resistive wall mode are reviewed.