Tangential Neutral-Beam-Driven Instabilities in the Princeton Beta Experiment

198687 citationsJournal Article

Authors

W. W. Heidbrink · Princeton University

K. Bol · Princeton University

D. Buchenauer · Princeton University

R.J. Fonck · Princeton University

G. Gammel · Princeton University

K. Ida · Princeton University

R. Kaita · Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Abstract

During tangential neutral-beam injection into the PBX tokamak, bursts of two types of instabilities are observed. One instability occurs in the frequency range 120-210 kHz and the other oscillates predominantly near the frequency of bulk plasma rotation (20-30 kHz). Both instabilities correlate with drops in neutron emission and bursts in charge-exchange neutral flux, indicating that beam ions are removed from the center of the plasma by the instabilities. The central losses are comparable to the losses induced by the fishbone instability during perpendicular injection.

Topics & Keywords

Magnetic confinement fusion research Nuclear Physics and Applications Nuclear reactor physics and engineering

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Life below water

Publication Details

Published in: Physical Review Letters

Volume 57, Issue 7, pp. 835-838

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.57.835

Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 3.61