Spectroscopic Flow and Ion Temperature Studies of a Large s FRC

The Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment (SSX) produces a large s FRC by merging counterhelicity spheromaks within a cylindrical flux conserver. Past results have shown that the toroidal fields in each spheromak do not annihilate even after the poloidal flux appears to have completely reconnected. This would suggest a radially directed current density at the midplane, and therefore a radially sheared azimuthal component of J B. In contrast, fast high resolution spectroscopic measurements indicate that flow at the midplane is small (u< < vA) and there is little shear.