High-Temperature, High-Density Plasma Production by Vortex-Ring Compression

The TRISO PS III machine at the University of Miami has been modified by improving the preionization of the plasma and increasing the ring frequency of the conical θ-pinch coils. The secondary magnetic compression field has been increased to 120 000 G at the conjugate points of the mirror. It has been possible, with this modified machine, TRISO PS IV, to obtain ion temperatures of 5 keV with corresponding electron temperature of less than 300 eV. The electron density was 2×{}10¹⁷ cm^-3. This plasma was held in stable equilibrium for 5 {μ}sec.