Compression of Compact Tori for Cureent Drive and Heating

In fusion research, several critical issues stand in the development path from a spheromak to a reactor. An important one is the production of strong magnetic fields by use of a low current source. This project will develop a new means for generating strong magnetic fields from a low current source, namely, the repetitive injection of helicity-bearing plasma that also undergoes an acceleration and compression. In Phase I, advanced computations were benchmarked against analytic theory and run to determine the best means for the acceleration and compression of a compact torus plasma. The study included detailed simulations of magnetic reconnection. In Phase II, an experiment will be designed and implemented to produce strong magnetic fields in a spheromak by the repetitive injection of magnetic helicity from a low current coaxial plasma source. The plasma will be accelerated and compressed by means of a traveling wave adiabatic compression scheme that was previously applied to a mirror plasma. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The technology should further the development of fusion energy, which has the potential of ending the nation¿s dependence on foreign energy sources (oil, coal, gas).