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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. I. Zhmoginov, N. J. Fisch
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 57 | Number 4 | May 2010 | Pages 361-368
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/FST10-A9498
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The linear magnetic trap is an attractive concept both for fusion reactors and for other plasma applications because of its relative engineering simplicity and high-beta operation. Applying the -channeling technique to linear traps such as mirror machines can benefit this concept by efficiently redirecting -particle energy to fuel ion heating or by otherwise sustaining plasma confinement, thus increasing the effective fusion reactivity. To identify waves suitable for channeling, a rough optimization of the energy extraction rate with respect to the wave parameters is performed. After the optimal regime is identified, a systematic search for modes with similar parameters in mirror plasmas is performed, assuming quasi-longitudinal or quasi-transverse wave propagation. Several modes suitable for -particle energy extraction are identified for both reactor designs and for proof-of-principle experiments.