Electron equilibrium and confinement in a modified Penning trap and its application to Penning fusion

Journal Article · Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2000 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.873987· OSTI ID:20216041

Barnes, D C ^[1]; Schauer, M M ^[1]; Umstadter, K R ^[1]; Chacon, L ^[2]; Miley, G ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Fusion Studies Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)

The Penning fusion concept is described. Recent theoretical work on eliminating limitations on thermonuclear gain (Q) associated with ion-ion collisions is reviewed. A critical issue identified is the demonstration of the desired spherical electron configuration. Constraints on the electron distribution function are derived. A small combined trap (majority electrons), PFX-I (Penning Fusion eXperiment-Ions) has been constructed to study these issues. PFX-I is described. Two diagnostics described for electrons are destructive dumping of trapped electrons and noninvasive optical detection of impact induced fluorescence. Initial results of PFX-I operation at applied voltages V{sub 0} up to 2 kV and magnetic fields B up to 1.14 T are described. Electron equilibrium is found to be consistent with trap filling to the space charge limit, with inventory proportional to V{sub 0} and independent of B. Electron confinement times range from 1 to 10 ms and are determined by neutral pressure. These results are interpreted and future directions sketched. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

• OSTI ID: 20216041
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 7, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: May 2000; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
PENNING EFFECT
PENNING ION SOURCES
TRAPS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
GAIN
FUSION YIELD
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
ION-ION COLLISIONS
SPACE CHARGE
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
THEORETICAL DATA