| Plasma column instabilities in a Reversed Field Pinch (RFP) without a shell were investigated in the Colorado Reversatron RFP. The Reversatron RFP (aspect ratio R/a = 50cm/8cm) is a toroidal plasma containment device consisting of a vacuum chamber, a thick conducting shell, modular shells, magnetic field producing coils and diagnostics to characterize the plasma. RFP discharges were set up in the Reversatron in three different experimental configurations: with a thick conducting shell, with a modular shell and with no shell. In two of the configurations, a shell enclosed the plasma column to provide some plasma stability. A vertical magnetic field provided equilibrium in experiments without a shell. Data from discharges without a shell indicated that the plasma duration was greatly reduced and the plasma resistance increased compared to the discharges with a thick shell. Plasma position probes indicated large plasma centriod displacements corresponding to a n = 1 and a n = 3 kink coincident with the peak of the plasma current and the start of a discharge termination phase. The modular shell lengthened the discharge duration and lowered the plasma resistance to values intermediate between the plasma with a thick shell and the plasma with no shell. The modular shell suppressed the large plasma column displacements observed in the RFP plasma without a shell. |
