Abstract: An experimental nuclear fusion reactor comprising a coaxial plasma gun which has an outer electrode and an inner electrode arranged coaxially with each other, a metallic container which generates an annular plasma round a center conductor and which holds a poroidal magnetic flux, an inlet which introduces a plasma from the coaxial plasma gun into the container, and conductor members which electrically connect the center conductor, either of the outer and inner electrodes, the inlet and the container in succession so as to form a closed circuit, wherein current to flow through the closed circuit is controlled to hold a toroidal magnetic flux of the annular plasma.

Abstract: An inductive transformer in the form of a solenoidal coils aligned along the major axis of a flux core induces poloidal flux along the flux core's axis. The current in the solenoidal coil is then reversed resulting in a poloidal flux swing and the conversion of a portion of the poloidal flux to a toroidal flux in generating a spheromak plasma wherein equilibrium approaches a force-free, minimum Taylor state during plasma formation, independent of the initial conditions or details of the formation. The spheromak plasma is sustained with the Taylor state maintained by oscillating the currents in the poloidal and toroidal field coils within the plasma-forming flux core. The poloidal flux transformer may be used either as an amplifier stage in a moving plasma reactor scenario for initial production of a spheromak plasma or as a method for sustaining a stationary plasma and further heating it.