The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) began operation in September 1999. It is a major element in the U.S. Fusion Energy Sciences Program. It is designed to test the physics principles of spherical torus (ST) plasmas. NSTX produces a plasma that is shaped like a sphere with a hole through its center, different from the "donut" shape of the tokamak. The ST configuration may have several advantages, a major one being the ability to confine a higher plasma pressure for a given magnetic field. Since the amount of fusion power produced is proportional to the square of the plasma pressure, the ST concept could play an important role in the development of smaller and more economical fusion reactors.
The NSTX was designed and built jointly by PPPL, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Columbia University, and the University of Washington, Seattle. PPPL coordinated the design and construction efforts and has primary responsibility for experimental operations. Including PPPL, the NSTX research team is comprised of 24 U.S. universities, national laboratories, and industry, along with colleagues from 17 other institutions worldwide. Located within PPPL's D-Site facility, NSTX is taking advantage of existing equipment and infrastructure that formerly supported the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor, which ceased operation in 1997.
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