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(TH/4-5) Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) Equilibrium and Stability

D.C. Barnes¹⁾, E.V. Belova²⁾, R.C. Davidson²⁾, A. Ishida³⁾, H. Ji²⁾, R. Milroy⁴⁾, P. Parks⁵⁾, D. Ryutov⁶⁾, M. Schaffer⁵⁾, M. Yamada^2)
 
1) Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, USA
²⁾ Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, USA
³⁾ Niigata University, Niigata, JAPAN
⁴⁾ University of Washington, Seattle, USA
⁵⁾ General Atomics, San Diego, USA
⁶⁾ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, USA

Abstract.  New results elucidating FRC equilibrium and stability are reported. Both prolate and oblate configurations are considered. For prolate FRC’s, macrostability is calculated incuding effects beyond static MHD. Hall MHD gives a stability condition similar to an empirically-based limit. At finite T_i, gyroviscosity and resonant ion effects are included. Agreement between asymptotic theory of uniform large elongation and full 3D computations is reported. Full 3D kinetic-ion calculations show resonant ion destabilization and nonlinear saturation via wave-particle trapping. Advances in two-fluid equilibrium with flow are reported. A Fourier-Beltrami state with two modes is has approximate equipartition between flow and magnetic energy, and may explain experimentally observed features. Effects of mirror-trapped electrons near the field line ends is considered in both collisional and collisionless regimes, and found to reduce growth rates significantly for elongation of 5 or greater. Oblate FRC's are shown to be interchange stable for moderate separatrix pressure and to be accessible to formation by spheromak merging. Doublet shaped FRC’s are also being studied.

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