Self-organized helical equilibria as a new paradigm for ohmically heated fusion plasmas

Author:  ["R. Lorenzini","E. Martines","P. Piovesan","D. Terranova","P. Zanca","M. Zuin","A. Alfier","D. Bonfiglio","F. Bonomo","A. Canton","S. Cappello","L. Carraro","R. Cavazzana","D. F. Escande","A. Fassina","P. Franz","M. Gobbin","P. Innocente","L. Marrelli","R. Pasqualotto","M. E. Puiatti","M. Spolaore","M. Valisa","N. Vianello","P. Martin","P. Martin","L. Apolloni","M. E. Puiatti","J. Adamek","M. Agostini","A. Alfier","S. V. Annibaldi","V. Antoni","F. Auriemma","O. Barana","M. Baruzzo","P. Bettini","T. Bolzonella","D. Bonfiglio","F. Bonomo","M. Brombin","J. Brotankova","A. Buffa","P. Buratti","A. Canton","S. Cappello","L. Carraro","R. Cavazzana","M. Cavinato","B. E. Chapman","G. Chitarin","S. Dal Bello","A. De Lorenzi","G. De Masi","D. F. Escande","A. Fassina","A. Ferro","P. Franz","E. Gaio","E. Gazza","L. Giudicotti","F. Gnesotto","M. Gobbin","L. Grando","L. Guazzotto","S. C. Guo","V. Igochine","P. Innocente","Y. Q. Liu","R. Lorenzini","A. Luchetta","G. Manduchi","G. Marchiori","D. Marcuzzi","L. Marrelli","S. Martini","E. Martines","K. McCollam","F. Milani","M. Moresco","L. Novello","S. Ortolani","R. Paccagnella","R. Pasqualotto","S. Peruzzo","R. Piovan","P. Piovesan","L. Piron","A. Pizzimenti","N. Pomaro","I. Predebon","J. A. Reusch","G. Rostagni","G. Rubinacci","J. S. Sarff","F. Sattin","P. Scarin","G. Serianni","P. Sonato","E. Spada","A. Soppelsa","S. Spagnolo","M. Spolaore","G. Spizzo","C. Taliercio","D. Terranova","V. Toigo","M. Valisa","N. Vianello","F. Villone","R. B. White","D. Yadikin","P. Zaccaria","A. Zamengo","P. Zanca","B. Zaniol","L. Zanotto","E. Zilli","H. Zohm","M. Zuin"]

Publication:  Nature Physics

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Abstract

A reversed-field pinch is a toroidal device for magnetically confining plasmas, and a potential alternative to the tokamak for a future fusion reactor. Observations of the evolution of a reversed-field-pinch plasma towards a self-organized single-helicity state suggest that instability problems, which have previously hindered the development of these devices, could now be overcome. In the quest for new energy sources, the research on controlled thermonuclear fusion1 has been boosted by the start of the construction phase of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor2 (ITER). ITER is based on the tokamak magnetic configuration3, which is the best performing one in terms of energy confinement. Alternative concepts are however actively researched, which in the long term could be considered for a second generation of reactors. Here, we show results concerning one of these configurations, the reversed-field pinch4,5 (RFP). By increasing the plasma current, a spontaneous transition to a helical equilibrium occurs, with a change of magnetic topology. Partially conserved magnetic flux surfaces emerge within residual magnetic chaos, resulting in the onset of a transport barrier. This is a structural change and sheds new light on the potential of the RFP as the basis for a low-magnetic-field ohmic fusion reactor.

Cite this article

Lorenzini, R., Martines, E., Piovesan, P. et al. Self-organized helical equilibria as a new paradigm for ohmically heated fusion plasmas. Nature Phys 5, 570–574 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1308

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