Self-organization and its effect on confinement in a reversed field pinch plasma

Abstract

Results of self-organization of the magnetic field and associating plasma loss are reviewed in the reversed field pinch (RFP) experiments on TPE machines. It is shown that the RFP plasma has a strong tendency to relax to a certain magnetic configuration similar to the energy minimum state predicted by Taylor. Thus the RFP configuration is self-organized and self-sustained with appropriate control of experimental conditions. Interestingly, however, it is observed in some cases that the relaxation can take place without the conservation of total magnetic helicity.