Formation of a Stable Field Reversed Configuration through Merging

摘要

The Inductive Plasma Accelerator (IPA) Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) experiment is a plasmoid accelerator/interaction experiment designed to explore the acceleration, reconnection and compression of high beta compact toroids. The IPA experiment is designed to be able to form, accelerate, and merge two FRCs having a mass of 0.1-0.2 mg at velocities ranging from 150 km/s to 250 km/s in a centrally located interaction/compression chamber. The interaction/compression chamber magnetic fields are arranged in a mirror configuration to trap and allow the FRCs to merge. The merged FRCs are then magnetically compressed to high density and temperature. After compression, ion temperatures are predicted to exceed several kV at densities greater than 10~(22) m~(-3). The experimental device now in operation will be discussed. Initial results of FRC merging will be presented, as well as results from 2D numerical calculations based on the current experiment.