Abstract

Operation of the S-1 device in a high current density (j/n/sub e/ greater than or equal to 2 /times/ 10/sup -14/A/center dot/m) regime has created high electron temperature spheromaks (50eV less than or equal to T/sub e/ less than or equal to 130eV). The mechanisms and causes of the periodic relaxation events often observed in these hotter spheromak plasmas were made clear. Also, a relationship between the MHD relaxation cycle and confinement characteristics was revealed for the first time. Resistive loss at the outer edge of the plasma causes a departure from the initial force-free minimum-energy Taylor state to a MHD profile unstable to low-n ideal MHD modes; a relaxation event then returns the configuration to nearly a Taylor state. 11 refs., 5 figs.

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