Confinement of alpha particles in tandem mirrors

Technical Report · Mon Sep 08 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5121947

Devoto, R S; Ohnishi, M

Mechanisms leading to loss of alpha particles from non-axisymmetric tandem mirrors are considered. Stochastic diffusion due to bounce-drift resonances can cause rapid radial loss of high energy particles but can be suppressed by imposing a 20% rise in axisymmetric field before the quadrupole transition sections. With this field, radial losses due to resonances should be minimal until alpha particles near thermal energies, when they enter the resonance plateau regime. Retention in the plasma of 60 to 80% of alpha-particle energy appears possible; precise calculation requires computation of drift orbits, of which two typical examples, resonant and non-resonant, are presented.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5121947
• Report Number(s): UCID-18784
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
ALPHA PARTICLES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CONFINEMENT
DIFFUSION
ENERGY LOSSES
LOSSES
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
ORBITS
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TMX DEVICES