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Joined 2026-09-21 Message
Incoming links: Tokamak safety factor
The supplied confinement criterion alone fixes a product, not a unique current or machine size. Choose a representative ion density ni=1020m−3. ThenFor ni=1019 to 1021m−3, the same criterion gives τ≳10 to 0.1s. These are illustrative density choices, not additional source data.
τ≳ni1020s≃1s.
For a current estimate, assume a large-aspect-ratio circular tokamak with major radius R0=3m, minor radius a=1m, toroidal field Bϕ=5T and edge tokamak safety factor qs≃3. The geometrical winding relation and Ampère's law giveFor the stated assumptions,so toroidal plasma currents of order megaamperes are a natural scale. As a consistency check at T∼108K, quasineutral singly charged heavy hydrogen has total thermal pressure p≃2nikBT≃2.8×105Pa. With 5T, 2μ0p/B2≃0.028, so the assumed magnetic pressure exceeds the thermal pressure. The particular current depends on geometry and field-line pitch; it cannot be inferred from the confinement product alone.
qs≃R0BθaBϕ,Bθ(a)≃2πaμ0Ip,Ip≃μ0R0qs2πa2Bϕ.
Ip≃2.8×106A,