A stellarator is a magnetic confinement device. The rotational transform is predominantly generated by external coils - as opposed to a tokamak, in which the poloidal field is generated by plasma currents. Hybrid concepts employ both external coils and self-generated (bootstrap) currents (e.g. NCSX).

NCSX plasma vessel.

Defunct stellarators

  • ATF (USA)
  • W7-AS (Germany, 1988-2002)
  • CHS (Japan)
  • NCSX (USA, cancelled before construction was completed)

Operational stellarators

Future stellarators

  • W7-X (under construction, Germany)
  • QPS (in design phase, USA)

See also