Unlike tokamaks, field-reversed configurations (FRCs) for magnetic confinement of thermonuclear plasma are often thought to provide high betas, gas pressure to magnetic pressure ratio. But what experimental evidence is there for such claims?
Dear Prof Kovalev,
it seems to me that the value of beta is not usually provided in FRC literature. Rather, the relevant quantity is s, the number of gyroradii between the null field point and the separatrix. Earlier reactor proof-of-concept studies focussed on values s > 20, but effective suppression of kink instabilities occurs at s --> 1. Another relevant quantity is the elongation: larger (smaller) values prevent tilting (reconnection) instability.
A notable exception is Ryzhkov, Sergei V. (2002). "Features of Formation, Confinement and Stability of the Field Reversed Configuration". Problems of Atomic Science and Technology. Plasma Physics. 7 (4): 73–75.
( http://vant.kipt.kharkov.ua/ARTICLE/VANT_2002_4/article_2002_4_73.pdf )
Table 1 of this paper displays values of experimentally measured, volume averaged beta between 0.75 and 0.95.
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