Current Diffusion
How the plasma current profile relaxes and evolves over time.
- Governs
- Current-profile evolution
After the current is driven, it diffuses resistively toward a relaxed profile over a characteristic time. Controlling this evolution — with heating and current drive — keeps the safety-factor profile in a stable, high-performance shape.
It links current drive to stability and advanced scenarios.
Common questions
The plasma current profile relaxes resistively over time, reshaping the safety-factor profile that governs stability. Because it evolves slowly, current-profile control must be applied across the whole discharge.
It sets where dangerous tearing modes can grow and enables advanced regimes. Tailoring it with heating and current drive is a primary tool for stability and steady-state performance.
