Possible steady state current drive for reversed field pinch discharges

A steady state current drive concept applicable to reversed field pinch (RFP) discharges is presented. The concept, initially proposed by M. Bevir and J. Gray of the Culham Laboratory, entails driving the RFP's toroidal and poloidal magnetic field circuits with low-frequency oscillating voltage sources. The steady state drive concept was examined with a O-D plasma-circuit simulation code presently employed to model the Los Alamos ZT-40 RFP experiment. Simulations indicate the drive concept is feasible provided its perturbative effect on plasma equilibrium, stability, and transport is minimal A summary of these results, along with their implications on present and future RFP devices, is discussed.