Ideal and Resistive Magnetohydrodynamic Stable Startup and Burn for the Reversed-Field Pinch Reactor

A crucial question for the feasibility of high-beta ohmically heated devices, such as the reversed field pinch (RFP) and the Spheromak, is whether such devices can be formed with a modest amount of field dissipation and energy loss. By means of a convective startup technique, a low-loss formation and burn scenario for the RFP reactor, which maintains effective stability to ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamic modes, is simulated. Results indicate small aspect ratio machines have the best possibilities for stable startup.