Reversed field pinch

Reversed field pinch (RFP) is a type of plasma confinement system primarily used in the field of nuclear fusion. The RFP is one of the major lines of magnetic confinement research, along with the tokamak and the stellarator.

Overview

The reversed field pinch generates a magnetic field to confine a plasma, using a unique configuration that reduces some of the problems found in other confinement methods. The magnetic field in an RFP has a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) and a poloidal (looping) component. The toroidal field is much weaker than the poloidal field, which is the opposite of the configuration in a tokamak.

History

The concept of the reversed field pinch was first proposed in the 1950s by Stjepan Rudić, a Croatian physicist. The first experimental RFP devices were built in the 1970s, with significant advancements made in the following decades.

Operation

In an RFP, a plasma is confined in a toroidal chamber. An electric current is driven through the plasma, which generates a magnetic field. The interaction between the current and the magnetic field causes the plasma to self-organize into a stable configuration.

Advantages and Challenges

The RFP has several advantages over other confinement methods. It requires less magnetic field strength, which reduces the power requirements and potentially makes the system more economical. However, the RFP also faces several challenges, including maintaining stability and dealing with high levels of plasma turbulence.

Current Research

Current research on the RFP is focused on improving stability and confinement times, as well as developing practical applications for fusion power. Major RFP research facilities include the Extrap T2R in Sweden and the Madison Symmetric Torus in the United States.

See Also

• Magnetic confinement fusion
• Plasma physics
• Nuclear fusion

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