 The Alcator C-Mod tokamak experiment at the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Overview showing the device itself (under concrete shielding) and diagnostics in surrounding bay. | |
| Device type | Tokamak |
|---|---|
| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts, US |
| Affiliation | MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center |
| Technical specifications | |
| Major radius | 0.68 m (2 ft 3 in) |
| Minor radius | 0.22 m (8.7 in) |
| Plasma volume | 1 m3 |
| Magnetic field | 3–8 T (30,000–80,000 G) (toroidal) |
| Plasma current | 0.4–2.0 MA (typical) |
| History | |
| Year(s) of operation | 1991–2016 |
| Preceded by | Alcator C |
Alcator C-Mod was a tokamak (a type of magnetically confined fusion device) that operated between 1991 and 2016 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC). Notable for its high toroidal magnetic field (of up to 8 Tesla), Alcator C-Mod holds the world record for volume averaged plasma pressure in a magnetically confined fusion device.[1] Until its shutdown in 2016, it was one of the major fusion research facilities in the United States.
Alcator C-Mod was the third of the Alcator (Alto Campo Toro, High Field Torus) tokamak series, following Alcator A (1973–1979) and Alcator C (1978–1987). It was the largest fusion reactor operated by any university and was an integral part of the larger Plasma Science and Fusion Center.