Physics Results from the National Spherical Torus Experiment

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) produces plasmas with aspect ratio A {triple_bond} R/a = 0.85m/0.68m {approx} 1.25, at plasma currents up to 1.5 MA with vacuum toroidal magnetic field up to 0.6 T on axis. The plasmas are heated by up to 6 MW of High-Harmonic Fast Waves (HHFW) at a frequency 30 MHz and by 7 MW of deuterium Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) at an energy up to 100 keV. Since January 2004, NSTX has been operating, routinely at toroidal fields up to 0.45 T, with a new central conductor bundle in the toroidal field coil