Status of Magnetic Mirror Studies in Novosibirsk

Mirrors are the only one class of fusion systems which completely differs topologically from the systems with closed magnetic configurations. At present, there modern types of different mirror machines for plasma confinement and heating exist in Novosibirsk (Gas Dynamic Trap, -GDI, Multi-mirror, -GOL-3, and Tandem Mirror, -AMBAL-M). All these systems are attractive from the engineering point of view because of very simple axisymmetric geometry of magnetic configurations. In the present paper, the status of different confinement systems is presented. The experiments most crucial for the mirror concept are described such as a demonstration of different principles of suppression of electron heat conductivity (GDT, GOL-3), finding of MHD stable regimes of plasma confinement in axisymmetric geometric of magnetic field (GDT, AMBAL-M), an effective heating of a dense plasma by relativistic electron beam (GOL-3), observation of radial diffusion of quiescent plasma with practically classical diffusion coefficient (AMBAL-M), etc.

It should be mentioned that on the basis of the GDT it is possible to make a very important intermediate step. Using “warm” plasma and oblique injection of fast atoms of D and T one can create a powerful 14 MeV neutron source with a moderate irradiation area (about 1 square meter) and, accordingly, with low tritium consumption. It should be mentioned that there is no one candidate to the plasma based neutron source with such a low (about 150 gram/year) tritium consumption.

The main plasma parameters achieved are presented.