Observation of a new type of self-generated current in magnetized plasmas.

Autor: Na YS; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea. ysna@snu.ac.kr., Seo J; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.; Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA., Lee Y; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea., Choi G; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea., Park M; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Park S; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea., Yi S; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Wang W; Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA., Yoo MG; Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA.; General Atomics, San Diego, CA, 85608, USA., Cha M; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea., Kim B; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea., Lee YH; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Han H; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Kim B; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Lee C; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Kim S; Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.; Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA., Yang S; Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA., Byun CS; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Kim HS; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Ko J; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Lee W; Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea., Hahm TS; Department of Nuclear Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Nature communications [Nat Commun] 2022 Oct 29; Vol. 13 (1), pp. 6477. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 29.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34092-0
Abstrakt: A tokamak, a torus-shaped nuclear fusion device, needs an electric current in the plasma to produce magnetic field in the poloidal direction for confining fusion plasmas. Plasma current is conventionally generated by electromagnetic induction. However, for a steady-state fusion reactor, minimizing the inductive current is essential to extend the tokamak operating duration. Several non-inductive current drive schemes have been developed for steady-state operations such as radio-frequency waves and neutral beams. However, commercial reactors require minimal use of these external sources to maximize the fusion gain, Q, the ratio of the fusion power to the external power. Apart from these external current drives, a self-generated current, so-called bootstrap current, was predicted theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. Here, we reveal another self-generated current that can exist in a tokamak and this has not yet been discussed by present theories. We report conclusive experimental evidence of this self-generated current observed in the KSTAR tokamak.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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