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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.
K.V. Lotov, A.A. Ivanov
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 35 | Number 1 | January 1999 | Pages 353-357
Poster Presentations | doi.org/10.13182/FST99-A11963883
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The fast ions produced inside a mirror trap by neutral beam injection could form periodic short-lived density peaks near a turning point if the injection energy is properly modulated in time. Achievable parameters of thus formed fast ion bunches are analyzed in this paper. The theory is illustrated by estimates for the neutron source based on a gas-dynamic trap. The bunching of deuterium and tritium ions can produce periodic short bursts of neutron radiation with the intensity 1.5 times higher than the average level. The modulation of the neutron flux could extend the field of application for the neutron source. Also, the bunching could serve as a precise plasma diagnostics in mirror traps.