3 ms·

Can you provide a reference for that claim about tokamaks?

• dom0 10y ago
  Due to the DC current flowing in the plasma inducing the plasma's magnetic field it has to be operated in some kind of pulsed mode for operation. See eg. https://www.euronuclear.org/info/encyclopedia/t/tokamak.htm https://www.euronuclear.org/info/encyclopedia/t/tokamak.htm Whereas the Stellarator has no DC current flowing in the plasma and can operate continuously with no pulsing/ripples.
  • drjesusphd 10y ago
    Current need not be generated inductively, it can arise naturally ("bootstrap current"). There have already been experiments with as much as 85% of the current coming from this mechanism. As far as I know, there's no reason to absolutely rule out a bootrap fraction close to unity. If you have information that does rule this out, I would like to hear it, since I hear this claim repeated often. Edit: there's also lower-hybrid current drive. This combined with boostrap means that ITER may be able to operate at steady-state.