PPPL-3491 is available in pdf or postscript formats.

National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) Engineering Overview and Research Results 1999 - 2000

Authors: C. Neumeyer and the NSTX Team

Date of PPPL Report: October 2000

Presented at: the 21st Symposium on Fusion Technology (SOFT) held at Madrid, Spain, September 11-15, 2000. Proceedings to be published in Fusion Engineering and Design.

The NSTX is a new US facility for the study of plasma confinement, heating, and current drive in a low aspect ratio, spherical torus (ST) configuration. The ST configuration is an alternate magnetic confinement concept which is characterized by high b (ratio plasma pressure to magnetic field pressure) and low toroidal field compared to conventional tokamaks, and could provide a pathway to the realization of a practical fusion power source. NSTX achieved first plasma in February 1999, and since that time has completed and commissioned all components and systems within the machine proper. Routine operation with inductively driven plasma current is less than or equal to 1MA and flat top is less than or equal to 0.3 seconds has been established, and the ohmic characterization phase of the research program is underway. Radio Frequency (RF) and Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) systems have been installed and are presently being commissioned. This paper describes the NSTX mission, gives an overview of the engineering design, and summarizes the research results obtained thus far.