Plasma confinement with an RF trap
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
A fusion device based on an RF trap is described. An RF trap combines the axial field of a Penning Trap with the pondermotive confinement of a Paul Trap. The pondermotive confinement is provided by standing electromagnetic waves in a resonant cavity, although driven electrostatic fields may also be employed if one wishes to operate at lower frequencies. The major advantage of this device is that the electrostatic breakdown problem for high energy Penning traps can be alleviated allowing one to utilize larger sizes and potentially higher fusion power densities than a standard Penning Trap. Also, multiple species can be confined and focused in this device permitting the utilization of advanced fuels in pure ion plasmas. The major disadvantage is that the device requires large standing wave energies which may lead to unacceptable wall dissipation. The equations describing the trap, spatial and temporal focusing criteria, and reactor embodiments of the device will be presented.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 489372
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960354-; TRN: 97:011513
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International Sherwood fusion theory conference, Philadelphia, PA (United States), 18-20 Mar 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of 1996 international Sherwood fusion theory conference; PB: 244 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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