Increasing the magnetic helicity content of a plasma by pulsing a magnetized source.
By operating a magnetized coaxial gun in a pulsed mode it is possible to produce large voltage pulses of duration approximately 500 mus while reaching a few kV, giving a discrete input of helicity into a spheromak. In the sustained spheromak physics experiment (SSPX), it is observed that pulsing serves to nearly double the stored magnetic energy and double the temperature. We discuss these results by comparison with 3D MHD simulations of the same phenomenon.
Woodruff
S
S
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
Stallard
B W
BW
McLean
H S
HS
Hooper
E B
EB
Bulmer
R
R
Cohen
B I
BI
Hill
D N
DN
Holcomb
C T
CT
Moller
J
J
Wood
R D
RD