Plasma confinement studies in open systems

Studies in open systems in the world are reviewed from viewpoints of the potential confinement and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability. The tandem mirror GAMMA 10 has shown the potential confinement of a high-ion-temperature plasma from an analysis of the time evolution of end-loss ion current and end-loss ion energy distributions. The central cell density was increased by 50% by the potential confinement. In the HIEI tandem mirror H-mode-like phenomena were observed with an increase in density and diamagnetic signal in a limiter biasing experiment. Potential formation phenomena in plasmas are studied by QT-like Upgrade under different magnetic field configurations and plasma conditions. The fully axisymmetric tandem mirror AMBAL-M is under construction and its end mirror system has been assembled. Heating experiments of a plasma gun produced plasma by neutral beam injection and ICRF heating are in progress. The gas dynamic trap (GDT) experiment has successfully produced an MHD-stable high-temperature, high-density plasma. In GOL-3-II, a high-density plasma with several 100 eV temperature is created by powerful relativistic electron beam injection. Construction of HANBIT has been completed and experiments on plasma production and ICRF heating have begun.