CNT compared to previous experiments
Effects of neutrals should be negligible
- base pressure p < 10-10 Torr - ultrahigh vacuum
- Radial diffusion time due to neutrals should be ~ 400 s
- Radial diffusion time due to magnetic pumping ~ 10-100 s
Discharge formation will be easier
- Previous experiments had to employ complicated methods of nucleating the electron cloud - initial particles were unconfinedÖ
- Use of electrostatic radial fields to counter the vertical _B and curvature drifts with equal and opposite ExB drift
- Pulsed electric fields used to push the cloud into the chamber
- CNT: Start up in stellarator configuration, ramp down stellarator field coils slowly to create pure toroidal configuration (rotational transform to zero) - or simply study the stellarator configuration in its own right