In this issue ...

The 10-MW ECRH and current drive system for W7-X: first integrated tests with 0.9 MW, 30 min successful The components of the Wendelstein 7-X electron cyclotron resonance heating beamlines have been tested using a new gyrotron from CPI (USA). Although the system was not fully optimized for this tube, 0.9 MW was transmitted for 30 min. All measured parameters, in particular the gas pressure in the tube, the temperature in the collector wall, and the temperature of the most loaded mirrors, became stationary; the longest measured time to achieve this state is about 5 min. The quasi-optical multibeam waveguide system demonstrated its favorable transmission characteristics and the most loaded components showed an excellent performance under full-power CW conditions.

First non-neutral plasmas in the Columbia Non-neutral Torus The Columbia Non-neutral Torus (CNT), a stellarator designed to study non-neutral plasmas and the effects of strong ExB drifts on confinement, has started its first campaign to create pure electron plasmas. Good confinement of significant amounts of electrons has been achieved, and it appears that the toroidal electron cloud satisfies the plasma criterion.

For further information or to receive notices, contact: James A. Rome
E-mail: jar@ornl.gov
URL: http://www.ornl.gov/~jar