SSX Device Description

We make our spheromaks in the following way:

SSX parameters are similar to solar flare parameters:
 

Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment Parameters (SSX)

Parameter	SSX experiment	Solar flare
proton density	1013 to 1015 cm-3	1011 to 1013 cm3
temperature	20-50 eV	10-100 eV
characteristic magnetic field	0.01 to 0.1 T	0.01 to 0.1 T
b=Ethermal/Emagnetic	0.1	0.01 to 0.1
Alfven velocity	105 m/s	106 m/s
characteristic scale	0.1 m	106 to 108 m
magnetic Reynolds number	100-1000	109 to 1014
magnetofluid volume	100 liters	1020 m3
particle inventory	1019 protons	1032 protons
stored energy	25 kJ at 10 kV (x4)	Up to 1025 J
duration (tsustain)	100 µs	1000 s to several days
duration in units of Alfven transit times of the characteristic scale	100	103 to 105
flux conserver soak time (tflux conserver)	5 to 15 ms
stuffing flux Fgun	4 mWb
gun current Igun	100 kA

 

Distinctive SSX Features

• Merging magnetofluid is formed by identical LANL style magnetized plasma guns...disconnected loop
• Boundary condition is established by close fitting copper flux conservers
• Flexible design... Small, large, dual flux conservers
• Clean walls and high vacuum are maintained by cyro pump and Ti gettering (10^-8 torr)
• Magnetofluid will be "solar flare relevant" (0.1 T, ne < 10¹⁵ cm³, Te > 10 eV, Rm > 100)
• Diagnostic attention is focussed on the reconnection boundary layer (a few cm) in 1, 2 and 3D...single shot
• Reconnection events will be correlated with production of fast ion jets and soft x-rays

SSX Design

The first experiment formed small speromaks into a flux conserver the size of the gun.

Large spheromaks are injected into a larger flux conserver.

To study reconnection, two large spheromaks are formed from opposite ends of the vacuum chamber. Symmetrical holes in the adjoining flux conserver walls allows the spheromaks to communicate.

Go on to Formation and Equilibrium Studies