Plasma losses in a toroidal theta-pinch with superposed hexapole

Abstract

A toroidal theta-pinch discharge with superposed non-helical hexapole field is investigated. The characteristic data of the discharge are: major diameter 52 cm, minor inner diameter of the vacuum vessel 6 cm, maximum magnetic field between 10 and 21 kG, rise time (quarter-cycle) 3.0 μs, maximum temperature between 40 and 100 eV, maximum density between 1 and 3×1016 cm−3, beta-values between 0.3 and 1. The plasma confinement times are determined by measuring particle density, temperature and plasma radius. The confinement times are compared with those of models which account for cusp losses, resistive losses, and Bohm diffusion. Measured confinement times are consistent with those expected from cusp losses with a cusp slit-width of one ion gyro-radius. Above electron temperatures of 20 eV, resistive losses are negligible. Bohm diffusion is not consistent with measurements, but is of the same order of magnitude.