SUNIST explained

SUNIST
Fullname:	Sino-UNIted Spherical Tokamak
Type:	Spherical tokamak
City:	Beijing
Country:	China
Affiliation:	Tsinghua University
Field:	(toroidal)
Operation Start Year:	2002
Ongoing:	yes

SUNIST (or Sino-UNIted Spherical Tokamak) is a small spherical tokamak in the Department of Engineering Physics of Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.^[1]

The main parameters of SUNIST

Parameter	Symbol	Value
Major radius	R	30 cm
Minor radius	a	23 cm
Elongation ratio	κ	1.6
On-axis magnetic field	B0	1500 gauss (0.15 T)
Typical plasma current	IP	30 kA

Current research activities

Alfven wave current drive experiments in spherical tokamak plasmasAlfven wave can generate toroidal plasma current without density limits. This is very favourable for spherical tokamak plasmas, which have very high dielectric constants that makes LHCD or ECCD very hard.

References

• A Research Program of Spherical Tokamak in China
• Initial Plasma Startup Test on SUNIST Spherical Tokamak
• News about the construction of the SUNIST shperical tokamak (in Chinese)

Notes and References

1. Ying. Wang. Li. Zeng. Yexi. He. Team. SUNIST. 2003. Initial Plasma Startup Test on SUNIST Spherical Tokamak. Plasma Science and Technology. en. 5. 6. 2017–2022. 10.1088/1009-0630/5/6/001. 2003PlST....5.2017W . 250762020 . 1009-0630.