A 12-barrel deuterium pellet injector for the C-2 field-reversed configuration device

A compact 12-barrel deuterium pellet injector for plasma studies in the C-2 field-reversed configuration device (USA) is described. As in other multibarrel injectors, pellets are simultaneously formed inside short barrel segments that are cooled to 8–10 K. The injector has such features as low pellet velocities (up to 50 m/s), which are provided by a puncher mechanism built into the gas-admission valves, and the capability of plasma fueling with a pellet “needle” with a length-to-diameter ratio of up to 15.