[en] Control of the edge neutral pressure is critical for successful thermal barrier operation of tandem mirrors. High neutral pressures lead to substantial charge exchange losses of plasma ions as well as creating a population of cold ions and electrons which may be electrostatically trapped in the negative and positive confining potentials in the end cells. The primary sources of neutral gas in Tara are central cell and transition gas injection, and neutral beam injection in the plugs. In the central cell, the region of ionization is separated from the mirror-trapped hot ion region. Gettering in the region of hot ions, controls reflux and reduces the central cell gas contribution to the plug. During end plugging, the plasma stream from the central cell which is used to fuel the minimum B anchor cells is cut off, so that gas fueling must be supplied in the transition region. The beamlines and dumps use LN/Ti pumps, baffling and bakeable dumps and scrapers to limit gas penetration to the plug plasma. Gettering of the plug wall and geometric considerations are used to control reflux from charge exchange. Monte-Carlo simulations are used to analyze the plug and central cell reflux. A new central cell configuration employing a midplane magnetic divertor is now being evaluated. The halo plasma produced in the diverted magnetic flux will be used to improve shielding of the core plasma from charge exchange

[en] An axisymmetric divertor has been installed at the central cell midplane of Tara to provide magnetohydrodynamics stability and to generate a high-density halo at the edge of the plasma. A dense halo aids sloshing ion buildup in the plug cells and increases shielding of the core plasma from charge exchange recombination. Separate gas fueling of the halo in the divertor allows for the different fueling requirements of the potential-confined core plasma and the flow-confined edge during plugged operation

[en] A series of static and dynamic tests of the ASST were conducted from July 1992 to the present. These tests included heat leak measurements, as well as, temperature and pressure profiles obtained during quench testing of the string. An accurate assessment of heat leak measurements of collider components requires a stable thermal environment with the minimization of end effects. The string test provides the ideal static environment necessary to conduct these measurements. This report summarizes the results of the heat leak measurements conducted on the cold mass, 20K, and 80K shields of the dipoles used in the ASST assembly. We also report on the rapidly changing temperatures and pressures recorded during the string quench tests