Particle deconfinement in a bent magnetic mirror

Journal Article · Thu Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4765692· OSTI ID:22068871

Gueroult, Renaud; Fisch, Nathaniel J ^[1]

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1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

Coils misalignment in a magnetic mirror can produce additional particle transport. The magnetic field non axi-symmetry is responsible for radial and longitudinal drifts in a way much similar to the neo-classical transport in a tandem mirror cell distorted by end plugs. Accordingly, a regime exhibiting large radial displacements--similar to the resonant regime in tandem mirrors--can be obtained by confining ions azimuthally, for example by means of a properly tuned radial electric field. Because of the mass dependence of the magnetic field non-homogeneity drift velocities, the azimuthal trapping is mass specific, allowing, in principle, the filtering of a specific species based on its mass.

• OSTI ID: 22068871
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 19, Issue 11; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
AXIAL SYMMETRY
CLOSURES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASS
NEUTRAL-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
PLASMA DRIFT
TANDEM MIRRORS
TRAPPING