1. THE REVERSED FIELD PINCH
- Author
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Brett Chapman, J.S. Sarff, Sadao Masamune, James R. Drake, Dominique Escande, Maria Ester Puiatti, Piero Martin, Lionello Marrelli, Escande, Dominique, CEA-Direction des Energies (ex-Direction de l'Energie Nucléaire) (CEA-DES (ex-DEN)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Physique des interactions ioniques et moléculaires (PIIM), and Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Nuclear and High Energy Physics ,Reversed field pinch ,business.industry ,Computer science ,MHD ,magnetic confinement ,Magnetic confinement fusion ,reversed field pinch ,Condensed Matter Physics ,01 natural sciences ,Magnetic flux ,010305 fluids & plasmas ,[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-PLASM-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Plasma Physics [physics.plasm-ph] ,Control system ,[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-PLASM-PH] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Plasma Physics [physics.plasm-ph] ,0103 physical sciences ,Active feedback ,Electricity ,High current ,Magnetohydrodynamics ,Aerospace engineering ,010306 general physics ,business - Abstract
This paper reviews the research on the reversed field pinch (RFP) in the last three decades. Substantial experimental and theoretical progress and transformational changes have been achieved since the last review (Bodin 1990 Nucl. Fusion 30 1717–37). The experiments have been performed in devices with different sizes and capabilities. The largest are RFX-mod in Padova (Italy) and MST in Madison (USA). The experimental community includes also EXTRAP-T2R in Sweden, RELAX in Japan and KTX in China. Impressive improvements in the performance are the result of exploration of two lines: the high current operation (up to 2 MA) with the spontaneous occurrence of helical equilibria with good magnetic flux surfaces and the active control of the current profile. A crucial ingredient for the advancements obtained in the experiments has been the development of state-of-art active feedback control systems allowing the control of MHD instabilities in presence of a thin shell. The balance between achievements and still open issues leads us to the conclusion that the RFP can be a valuable and diverse contributor in the quest for fusion electricity.
- Published
- 2020
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