Axisymmetric instability in a noncircular tokamak: experiment and theory

The stability of dee, inverse-dee and square cross section plasmas to axisymmetric modes has been investigated experimentally in Tokapole II, a tokamak with a four-null poloidal divertor. Experimental results are closely compared with predictions of two numerical stability codes -- the PEST code (ideal MHD, linear stability) adapted to tokapole geometry and a code which follows the nonlinear evolution of shapes similar to tokapole equilibria. Experimentally, the square is vertically stable and both dee's unstable to a vertical nonrigid axisymmetric shift. The central magnetic axis displacement grows exponentially with a growth time approximately 10/sup 3/ poloidal Alfven times plasma time. Proper initial positioning of the plasma on the midplane allows passive feedback to nonlinearly restore vertical motion to a small stable oscillation. Experimental poloidal flux plots are produced directly from internal magnetic probe measurements.