Abstract. An absolute minimum-B configuration was obtained when applied external toroidal magnetic field transformed a field-reversed configuration (FRC) into an ultra-high-beta (> 50%) spherical tokamak (ST). High-power heating ( 5-30MW) of magnetic reconnection was used to form the oblate FRC and to increase thermal pressure (beta) of STs. High-beta STs with a variety of pressure and q profiles revealed their stability boundaries and possible ballooning collapses. The high-beta ST with maximum pressure gradient p in the periphery was maintained stably, while another high-beta ST with maximum p in the core collapsed due to high-n ( n > 8) localized modes.
IAEA 2001