Annual performance report for A program of FRC theory research''

Technical Report · Fri May 15 04:00:00 EDT 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7285025· OSTI ID:7285025

Krall, N A

The original activities carried out under this Grant were specific to the Fusion scheme known as the Field Reversed Configuration (FRC). With the decisions of the Department of Energy to deemphasize experimental activity in the areas known as alternate concepts,'' we have generalized our studies. Since the research we have perfomed on the FRC led us into the area of high beta (8{pi}nT/B{sup 2}) and large orbits, we have chosen to emphasize those areas of plasma physics. The relevance to the mainline fusion program will emerge as our understanding of these areas develops. This statement may not be obvious, but it reflects my observations, developed over the last thirty-two years of fusion research, of how progress is made in this complex field. During the present contract period, we have undertaken three specific studies on large orbit and high {beta} physics which have reached a point of near completion. One of these studies has demonstrated that in large orbit systems collisional relaxation to a Maxwellian distribution proceeds at a surprisingly slow rate, because of the competing effects of collisions which tend to make a local Maxwellian, which in a large orbit system can make remote regions more non-Maxwellian. A second study reopens the problem of confinement of plasma by a cusp magnetic field. Thirdly we note that the separatrix in the FRC can lead the plasma into an x-point on the cyclindrical axis of that devices.

• Research Organization: Krall Associates, Del Mar, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG03-88ER53280
• OSTI ID: 7285025
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/53280-6; KA--92-07; ON: DE92018557
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700310 -- Plasma Confinement-- (1992-)
700380 -- Elementary & Classical Processes in Plasmas-- (1992-)
700411* -- Inertial Confinement Devices-- (1992-)
COLLISIONS
CONFINEMENT
DOCUMENT TYPES
FIELD-REVERSED MIRROR REACTORS
MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELD REVERSAL
MAGNETIC MIRROR TYPE REACTORS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PROGRESS REPORT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
REVERSED-FIELD MIRRORS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS