EXTERNAL INDUCTANCE OF AN AXISYMMETRICAL PLASMA

The external inductance of an axisymmetric toroidal plasma with an arbitrary aspect ratio and cross section is obtained using a Green's function method. By varying an equivalent skin current density over the plasma surface, while keeping the total toroidal current fixed, the plasma boundary is made to coincide with a magnetic surface. Numerical computations of the self-inductance and mutual inductance as functions of aspect ratio and elongation are fitted to simple analytic formulas. The effect of distributed plasma current on the volt-seconds required to reach a prescribed net current is considered. © 1986 American Institute of Physics.