Energy spreading and stabilization of plasma by applying a high-frequency electric field

Abstract

The ion cyclotron instabilities in the PHOENIX high energy injection mirror machine have been suppressed by applying oscillating electric fields. Two instabilities appear to be present. One is suppressed by energy spreading and the suppression of the other appears to be due to the effect of the applied electric fields on the electrons.

Fusion chain reactions –II

“…particles can catalyse the burning of 6 Li fuel nuclei to alpha particles with a large energy release and a theoretical multiplication factor k theor = 1.41.…”

“…The conventional t(d, n) a fusion reaction, of course, uses 6 Li as primordial fuel by breeding tritium in the blanket via 6 Li(n, t)a and 7 Li(n,n*) t + a reactions. Fusion chain reactions such as the above would burn the 6 Li directly in the reactor vessel, obviating the conventional Li-blanket and the complex external chemical plant required for tritium recovery and recycling. The system would also be "cleaner" than the D-T-or D-D-fuelled systems, i.e.…”

“…This and other speculations in the literature miss the element of multiplicative breeding in the plasma that appears in the more generalized complex of reactions described here. Jetter [4], in a little known paper, proposed fusion chain reactions for 6 Li-D-fuel but these chains involved neutrons as one of the essential chain centres and hence are inadmissible for small fusion reactors.…”

“…Part II of this series of letters will discuss 6 Li-D-fuelled, charged-particle chain reactions briefly inasmuch as they permit the more rapid, thermal (i.e. thermonuclear) generation of new chain centres by D-D and D- 6 Li reactions in the fuel cloud. This would offset chain-centre losses somewhat better than in a pure 6 Li-H fuelled system.…”

“…thermonuclear) generation of new chain centres by D-D and D- 6 Li reactions in the fuel cloud. This would offset chain-centre losses somewhat better than in a pure 6 Li-H fuelled system. Part III will discuss the prospects of a method for achieving the required MeV plasma temperatures and for generating a closed magnetic configuration (/3 = 1) satisfying the Lawson number ( n T » 1 0 1 4 s/cm 3 ).…”