Plasma Physics For Controlled Fusion

TO THE SECOND EDITION In the nine years since this book was first written, rapid progress has been made scientifically in nuclear fusion, space physics, and nonlinear plasma theory. At the same time, the energy shortage on the one hand and the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn on the other have increased the national awareness of the important applications of plasma physics to energy production and to the understanding of our space environment. In magnetic confinement fusion, this period has seen the attainment 13 of a Lawson number nTE of 2 x 10 cm -3 sec in the Alcator tokamaks at MIT; neutral-beam heating of the PL T tokamak at Princeton to KTi = 6. 5 keV; increase of average ß to 3%-5% in tokamaks at Oak Ridge and General Atomic; and the stabilization of mirror-confined plasmas at Livermore, together with injection of ion current to near field-reversal conditions in the 2XIIß device. Invention of the tandem mirror has given magnetic confinement a new and exciting dimension. New ideas have emerged, such as the compact torus, surface-field devices, and the EßT mirror-torus hybrid, and some old ideas, such as the stellarator and the reversed-field pinch, have been revived. Radiofrequency heat­ ing has become a new star with its promise of dc current drive. Perhaps most importantly, great progress has been made in the understanding of the MHD behavior of toroidal plasmas: tearing modes, magnetic Vll Vlll islands, and disruptions.

This complete introduction to plasma physics and controlled fusion by one of the pioneering scientists in this expanding field offers both a simple and intuitive discussion of the basic concepts of this subject and an insight into the challenging problems of current research. In a wholly lucid manner the work covers single-particle motions, fluid equations for plasmas, wave motions, diffusion and resistivity, Landau damping, plasma instabilities and nonlinear problems.

This complete introduction to plasma physics and controlled fusion by one of the pioneering scientists in this expanding field offers both a simple and intuitive discussion of the basic concepts of this subject and an insight into the challenging problems of current research. In a wholly lucid manner the work covers single-particle motions, fluid equations for plasmas, wave motions, diffusion and resistivity, Landau damping, plasma instabilities and nonlinear problems.

This work introduces heavy ion beam probe diagnostics and presents an overview of its applications. The heavy ion beam probe is a unique tool for the measurement of potential in the plasma core in order to understand the role of the electric field in plasma confinement, including the mechanism of transition from low to high confinement regimes (L–H transition). This allows measurement of the steady-state profile of the plasma potential, and its use has been extended to include the measurement of quasi-monochromatic and broadband oscillating components, the turbulent-particle flux and oscillations of the electron density and poloidal magnetic field.

This work introduces heavy ion beam probe diagnostics and presents an overview of its applications. The heavy ion beam probe is a unique tool for the measurement of potential in the plasma core in order to understand the role of the electric field in plasma confinement, including the mechanism of transition from low to high confinement regimes (L–H transition). This allows measurement of the steady-state profile of the plasma potential, and its use has been extended to include the measurement of quasi-monochromatic and broadband oscillating components, the turbulent-particle flux and oscillations of the electron density and poloidal magnetic field.