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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.
Edward F. Splitt, Won-Ho Choe
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 18 | Number 2 | September 1990 | Pages 273-280
Technical Paper | Plasma Heating System | doi.org/10.13182/FST90-A29299
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A Monte Carlo simulation is developed to model minority ion transport and fundamental-mode (n = 1) ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) in asymmetric magnetic field geometries. A discrete event model is used to superimpose resonance-heated nonadiabatic changes in a test ion's magnetic moment on a Coulomb pitch angle scattering model. The ion drift orbit equations of motion are set in a magnetic flux coordinate system that separates fast motion along the field lines from slow motion across the lines. The effects of ICRH on minority ion transport are investigated for 3He in stellarator plasmas. The energy distribution functions of these radio-frequency (rf)-heated ions develop high-energy tails as a result of a preferential gain in velocity in the direction perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field. Estimates of neoclassical flux surface diffusion coefficients indicate that ion losses in an rf-heated stellarator plasma can be an order of magnitude larger than non-ICRH losses. This can be attributed to an rf-increased fraction of trapped ions, which results in increased neoclassical transport across the toroidal flux surfaces.