Stabilization of the resistive wall mode by a rotating solid conductor.

Stabilization of the resistive wall mode (RWM) by high-speed differentially rotating conducting walls is demonstrated in the laboratory. To observe stabilization intrinsic azimuthal plasma rotation must be braked with error fields. Above a critical error field the RWM frequency discontinuously slows (locks) and fast growth subsequently occurs. Wall rotation is found to reduce the locked RWM saturated amplitude and growth rate, with both static (vacuum vessel) wall locked and slowly rotating RWMs observed depending on the alignment of wall to plasma rotation. At high wall rotation RWM onset is found to occur at larger plasma currents, thus increasing the RWM-stable operation window.

The rotating wall machine: a device to study ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamic stability under variable boundary conditions.

The rotating wall machine, a basic plasma physics experimental facility, has been constructed to study the role of electromagnetic boundary conditions on current-driven ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, including differentially rotating conducting walls. The device, a screw pinch magnetic geometry with line-tied ends, is described. The plasma is generated by an array of 19 plasma guns that not only produce high density plasmas but can also be independently biased to allow spatial and temporal control of the current profile. The design and mechanical performance of the rotating wall as well as diagnostic capabilities and internal probes are discussed. Measurements from typical quiescent discharges show the plasma to be high ß (≤p>2µ(0)/B(z)(2)), flowing, and well collimated. Internal probe measurements show that the plasma current profile can be controlled by the plasma gun array.

Observation of resistive and ferritic wall modes in a line-tied pinch.

The resistive wall mode is experimentally identified and characterized in a line-tied, cylindrical screw pinch when the edge safety factor is less than a critical value. Different wall materials have been used to change the wall time and show that the growth rates for the RWM scale with wall time and safety factor as expected by theory. The addition of a ferritic wall material outside the conducting shell leads to growth rates larger than the observed RWM and larger than theoretical predictions for the ferritic wall mode.

Onset and saturation of the kink instability in a current-carrying line-tied plasma.

An internal kink instability is observed to grow and saturate in a line-tied screw pinch plasma. Detailed measurements show that an ideal, line-tied kink mode begins growing when the safety factor q = (4pi2r2B(z))/(mu0I(p)(r)L) drops below 1 inside the plasma; the saturated state corresponds to a rotating helical equilibrium. In addition to the ideal mode, reconnection events are observed to periodically flatten the current profile and change the magnetic topology.