High beta plasma confinement in reversed field pinch /ETL TPE-1/

The paper describes the establishment of the reversed field pinch configuration by the fast programming of two currents at values of about 120 kA. Both currents are crowbarred at their maxima where the stable configuration might be generated. The ETL TPE-1, an experimental apparatus for the confinement of high-beta toroidal plasma produced by the fast magnetic field compression technique in an axisymmetric magnetic system, was used. Data are presented for the time histories of the magnetic field configurations obtained using a linear array of six similar magnetic probes; the motion of the plasma current measured by a set of four small pick-up coils on the circumference of the same cross-section of the torus; and the time history of the ion temperature estimated by the broadening of He II 4686 A.