Das toroidale schwachionisierte Magnetoplasma II
A special alternating field method was used to eliminate the influence of the concentration effect (described in Part I1) on the measurements of interest and to increase by more than an order of magnitude the critical magnetic field strength for the onset of the helical instability of the positive column. This made it possible to check in detail the theory — formulated in Parts I and II — of a stable, weakly ionized toroidal magnetoplasma (potential profile, density profile, charge carrier losses).The theoretically predicted transverse electric field strength leading to the torus drift was observed, while the outward density displacement due to the torus drift did not occur. It was proved that the reason for this was an effect which results from a transverse gradient in the rate of ionization (grad ξ effect) and which causes a substantial reduction of the charge carrier losses. In the decaying plasma with vanishing longitudinal electric field, on the other hand, the outward density displacement was reeorded in accordance with the theory.The influence of the toroidal curvature on the magnetic field strength at which the helical instability sets in and on the turbulent state of the positive column was also investigated. It was also possible to verify the influence of the grad ξ effect on the helical oscillation.The grad ξ effect may be important for the early heating phase in projected toroidal fusion machines with neutral gas stabilization.