First physics results from the MAST Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak
- 20 April 2001
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Physics of Plasmas
- Vol. 8 (5) , 2101-2106
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1352595
Abstract
First physics results are presented from MAST (Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak), one of the new generation of purpose built spherical tokamaks (STs) now commencing operation. Some of these results demonstrate, for the first time, the novel effects of low aspect ratio, for example, the enhancement of resistivity due to neo-classical effects. H-mode is achieved and the transition to H-mode is accompanied by a tenfold steepening of the edge density gradient which may enable the successful application of electron Bernstein wave heating in STs. Studies of halo currents show that these less than expected from conventional tokamak results, and measurements of divertor power loading confirm that most of the power flows to the outer strike points, easing the power handling on the inner points (a critical issue for STs).Keywords
This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- The prospects for electron Bernstein wave heating of spherical tokamaksPhysics of Plasmas, 2000
- Simulation of START shots with the canonical profile transport modelPlasma Physics Reports, 2000
- -Mode Operation in the START Spherical TokamakPhysical Review Letters, 2000
- The spherical tokamak programme at CulhamNuclear Fusion, 1999
- A novel plasma-wall instability and the distribution of halo currents in tokamaksNuclear Fusion, 1998
- Modelling of the toroidal asymmetry of poloidal halo currents in conducting structuresNuclear Fusion, 1998
- Bootstrap current scaling in tokamaksNuclear Fusion, 1992