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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
A. V. Lvovskiy, A. L. Solomakhin
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 59 | Number 1 | January 2011 | Pages 298-300
doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A11641
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Plasma consists of two components in the Gas Dynamic Trap facility: a relatively cold and dense collisional plasma and a population of fast anisotropic ions which oscillate between mirror points. Peaks of fast ion density are made closely to the mirror points. It formes an ambipolar potential difference between these points and the center of the facility. The ambipolar potential restricts a plasma flow through the mirror region, so it influences on the plasma confinement. The ambipolar potential value can be found from the line plasma density in the central facility region. The dispersion interferometer, which is based on a CO2-laser with wavelength = 9.57 m, has been made for this purpose. The minimal line plasma density measurable with the dispersion interferometer is (nel) ~ 1013 cm-2, the time resolution is 100 s. The fast ion line density is 4 times higher than the warm ion line density in the mirror region. The ambipolar potential value is e [approximately equal] 0.7 Te in electron temperature units. Also the flute instability restriction opportunity with gradient of local electric field has been observed. The limiter voltage satisfying the condition U ~ Te is boundary for stabilization of plasma behavior.