Pockets of instability called magnetic islands in the plasma in a fusion device can disrupt plasma confinement. Scientists predict that islands grow because of the temperatures of electrons and ions in a plasma flattening out within the island, but ion temperatures have not been previously measured. In this new research, researchers found that contrary to expectations, the ion temperature profile did not flatten but instead exhibited a steep change across islands.In a Fusion Device Plasma, a Steep Ion Temperature Gradient Slows the Growth of Magnetic Islands
October 19, 2024
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Pockets of instability called magnetic islands in the plasma in a fusion device can disrupt plasma confinement. Scientists predict that islands grow because of the temperatures of electrons and ions in a plasma flattening out within the island, but ion temperatures have not been previously measured. In this new research, researchers found that contrary to expectations, the ion temperature profile did not flatten but instead exhibited a steep change across islands.
