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Magnetized Target Fusion Driven by Plasma LinersMagnetized target fusion is an emerging, relatively unexplored approach to fusion for electrical power and propulsion application. The physical principles of the concept are founded upon both inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and magnetic confinement fusion (MCF). It attempts to combine the favorable attributes of both these orthogonal approaches to fusion, but at the same time, avoiding the extreme technical challenges of both by exploiting a fusion regime intermediate between them. It uses a material liner to compress, heat and contain the fusion reacting plasma (the target plasma) mentally. By doing so, the fusion burn could be made to occur at plasma densities as high as six orders of magnitude higher than conventional MCF such as tokamak, thus leading to an approximately three orders of magnitude reduction in the plasma energy required for ignition. It also uses a transient magnetic field, compressed to extremely high intensity (100's T to 1000T) in the target plasma, to slow down the heat transport to the liner and to increase the energy deposition of charged-particle fusion products. This has several compounding beneficial effects. It leads to longer energy confinement time compared with conventional ICF without magnetized target, and thus permits the use of much lower plasma density to produce reasonable burn-up fraction. The compounding effects of lower plasma density and the magneto-insulation of the target lead to greatly reduced compressional heating power on the target. The increased energy deposition rate of charged-particle fusion products also helps to lower the energy threshold required for ignition and increasing the burn-up fraction. The reduction in ignition energy and the compressional power compound to lead to reduced system size, mass and R&D cost. It is a fusion approach that has an affordable R&D pathway, and appears attractive for propulsion application in the nearer term.
Document ID
20020067390
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Thio, Y. C. Francis
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Kirkpatrick, Ronald C.
(Los Alamos National Lab. NM United States)
Knapp, Charles E.
(Los Alamos National Lab. NM United States)
Rodgers, Stephen L.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2002
Subject Category
Plasma Physics
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Nuclear Society (ANS) Meeting
Location: Hollywood, FL
Country: United States
Start Date: June 9, 2002
End Date: June 13, 2002
Sponsors: American Nuclear Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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