Farengo R.; Lifschitz A.F.; Caputi K.I.; Arista N.R.; Clemente R.A.
Description:
Three non inductive current drive methods that can be applied to compact toroids are studied. The use of neutral beams to drive current in field reversed configurations and spheromaks is studied using a Monte Carlo code that includes a complete ionization package and follows the exact particle orbits in a self-consistent equilibrium calculated including the beam and plasma currents. Rotating magnetic fields are investigated as a current drive method for spherical tokamaks by employing a two dimensional model with fixed ions and massless electrons. The time evolution of the axial components of the magnetic field and vector potential is obtained by combining an Ohm's law that includes the Hall term with Maxwell's equations. The use of helicity injection to sustain a flux core spheromak is studied using the principle of minimum rate of energy dissipation. The Euler-Lagrange equations obtained using helicity balance as a constraint are solved to determine the current and magnetic field profiles of the relaxed states.