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First observation of plasma healing via helical equilibrium in tokamak disruptions...

Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Nuclear Fusion
Publication Date
Page Number
094002
Volume
59
Issue
9

A prompt transition of equilibrium states in a disruptive plasma is observed in the presence of three-dimensional (3D) resonant magnetic fields. A dominantly stochastic field line state heals into a 3D equilibrium with intact flux surfaces, resembling a single helicity magnetic island in the plasma core. On the other hand, the current quench process is bifurcated, i.e. from a completed quench accompanied by a vertically unstable disruption to a rapid termination of current decay followed by a full recovery to its predisruption value. This observation implies prompt stochastic fields healing through the rapid non-linear growth of a magnetic island in the plasma core may provide a plausible path for a soft-landing scenario of tokamak disruption in a high plasma current regime.